


Renegade Heroes

by moonlighthowl



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Akatsuki Hatake Kakashi, Akatsuki Uzumaki Naruto, Alternate Universe, F/M, Slow Burn, kinda sakura centric, reversed roles AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-01-20 16:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 78,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlighthowl/pseuds/moonlighthowl
Summary: The village hidden in the leaves was well known for its role as a military organization for the fire country. The current Hokage, Lord Uchiha Itachi heroically rose to power after a failed attempt to destroy the Uchiha clan, orchestrated by the previous leadership. Unfortunately the offender, Namikaze Minato, was able to evade justice, and vanished into the night without a trace.Should anyone have any accurate information of his whereabouts, or manage to bring him or his body to the leaf, the rewards would include a million ryo, to be paid immediately upon proof, and a seat at the wedding of Lord Fifth's younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, and his beautiful bride, Haruno Sakura.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 104
Kudos: 225





	1. Chapter 1

He still remembered the night it all happened very clearly.

It was known to the council, as well as both living Hokage that the Uchiha were orchestrating a coup, in hopes to take over the village. As active Hokage, Minato had tried, unsuccessfully, to mediate the situation again and again. After all, not only was that his duty as the kage, but also the very reason he’d taken leadership for;

Protecting his village, his family, and bringing what peace was possible to his people. It was a lifetime mission for him, and something he took very seriously. Perhaps that was the reason he had been able to reason with the Uchiha to some extent in the first place.

Acknowledging the police force’s importance, and trusting them with a little bit more power, (_against all his advisors’ wishes, no less_), had proven to be extremely helpful. Itachi had told them as much, visibly calmer than he had been in weeks. If Minato was given a little more time, he was sure he and Fugaku could find a permanent solution to their problems, and avoid any conflict.

But then, Danzō decided to be reckless.

Acting behind everyone’s backs, he stole one of Uchiha Shisui’s eyes, hoping to rely on its power to control the Uchiha, and possibly the entire village, if his hatred for Hiruzen and all those linked to him were anything to go by. 

Shisui, however, was no ordinary Shinobi. Despite his young age, he was already a very famous ninja all over the world, and certainly lived up to his reputation. He was a good man, and one Minato really appreciated to have on his side. Nevertheless, Danzō paid for his mistake with his life.

Lord Fourth did not feel bad for him by any stretch of imagination, and even agreed with the ninja’s actions. If anything, it was relieving to finally be free of the elder’s dark and twisted presence, which would always make matters worse, no matter how simple they were. If Shisui had come up to him after the deed, odds were he would vehemently apologize for the trouble, and that would be that. The council be damned.

Instead, the Uchiha chose to abandon the village, leaving a stream of dead ANBU bodies as the only clue to his whereabouts. He was never found. Even his best friend, Uchiha Itachi, had no idea of where he might have ran off to. He simply vanished.

Bad as the situation already was, there was one more detail to it: By leaving the village of his own accord, and after killing so many leaf shinobi, a member of the council included, Shisui had officially branded himself a nukenin.

_And nukenin were to be hunted down. _

It was the law. A law established by the founders, one of which was an Uchiha. His name would have to be part of the Bingo book from that day on, and he was to be executed on sight. Minato pleaded with the council extensively about an alternative, and even went as far as to ask lord third to step in, but it all fell on deaf ears.

And so, as Hokage, he did what had to be done. And that declaration created a huge gaping wound.

Suddenly, all the peace he had been working for was torn apart and destroyed.

The Uchiha proceeded with their coup, now with Itachi on their side.

They had fought bravely. His government still had several clans which supported it, which was potentiated by the feeling of distrust regarding the Uchiha clan, that had not yet vanished completely from the population. However, after gossip regarding Danzō’s actions spread through the village, most of the clans decided to stay neutral.

As such, the battle that ensued would be nothing short of a bloodbath. The Uchiha with their powerful sharingan and thirst for vengeance were just too powerful to be beaten with little support. And Minato knew exactly what they wanted.

_“My clan is getting restless.” Fugaku had confided, in one of their many meetings, arms dutifully folded against his chest. “They want me to go after your son, and take control over the demon” _His son. _Naruto. _

The boy was only seven years old now, and though he looked exactly like his father, his personality was entirely his mother’s. She, who with those same determined eyes, entrusted Minato with protecting their child, as her conscience wavered one final time. 

He simply couldn’t allow the Uchiha to kill his son and extract the half of the fox that was left in him, both as his father, and as Hokage. Naruto’s power, which had been granted to him by his mother before her death, would be essential when the time came to get Konoha back.

Hiruzen-Sama had also realized that, and agreed with his plans.

“Now, do not blame yourself for this, Minato.” He firmly said, while fastening his battle armor to his torso. The third Hokage seemed to have aged 50 years in one, after the current events begun. The younger man wondered just how much backstory Danzo and his sensei’s master had, to warrant such emotion.

He did not dare ask.

“This temporary loss is necessary for Konoha’s leaves to bloom once more” 

Hiruzen turned to him, a peaceful smile on his lips.

“Go. I will cover your escape.”

And so, he had. Against all sense of loyalty and pride, he had turned on his heels and teleported from the Hokage tower to his apartment, where his son was.

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Akimichi Chouza cast a worried glance back at the Namikaze. Chouza had apparently reached his apartment the second news about the coup had broken out, and put his clan on high alert since.

He’d always been a kind man, despite hiding it very well, as he believed it to be a weakness. Minato nodded.

“Yes. Attacking right now would only cause pain and suffering. Maybe even the _destruction_ of the clans loyal to the Hokage.” He stressed that last part.

Chouza’s features softened.

“Very well. We will cover your escape.” Shikaku intervened. He was sitting by the dinner table, shogi game open in front of him, seemingly calm. His eyes however, were trailed on the door, as if it could be ripped open at any minute.

“Thank you, Chouza-San. Shikaku-San.” He placed his hand on top of the small blonde figure that had been clutching to his robes ever since he arrived. “We will return and fix things as soon as possible.”

“We hope so” Answered Shikaku.

“Daddy?” Naruto called, and his father tilted his head instantly, peeking at the semi hidden boy that had tangled himself with his cape.

He was scared. Visibly so. Minato couldn’t blame him.

“It will be okay, Naruto. I promise” he picked his son up, carefully holding him against his chest. The boy wasted no time in wrapping his arms against his neck.

_Okay. There was only one last thing to do now. _

Focusing for an instant, Minato found the marking he was looking for.

“Hold on to me, okay Naruto? This may be a little uncomfortable” The child tightened his grip in response.

Minato looked at Chouza and Shikaku one final time. The duo smiled confidently at him.

The next second, he was gone.

* * *

Now that they were outside, it was impossible to tune out the ruckus. Explosions, yelling, and the unmistakable smell of iron took over the world around them. It was definitely not a sight he wanted Naruto to be exposed to at his age. Luckily, the person he was looking for was only a few feet away.

“_Hound_!” He called, not bothering with discretion. Despite being on his full ANBU gear, up to the mask, the young adult immediately obliged.

His head tilted up to meet the older man, then to the side, to Naruto’s small form.

“Minato sensei! What are you doing here? It’s not safe!” He practically howled the last part.

As if on cue, a nearby building exploded in flames, causing glass shards to fly everywhere. Minato tightened his grip on Naruto’s trembling form.

“I have a mission for you” despite being unable to see his face, he could feel the disbelief irradiating from the young adult. When there was no reply from him, the former Hokage proceeded.

“S rank, possibly above. No time limit. Do you accept it?

“Wha-“

“_Do you accept it_?”

“Y-Yeah”

“Take Naruto and run.” And for the first time since he stood in that hospital room and told the then twelve year old he had been enlisted to the ANBU, Minato saw the younger man hesitate.

“But…sensei-“_They didn’t have the time for this. _

“Konoha as we know it fell. The Uchiha took over. As the Hokage, everyone is looking for me.” _And me carrying Naruto and trying to escape by myself would put him in danger_, he didn’t say, as not to rile up the boy further.

He locked his gaze on the holes in the ANBU’s mask.

“You are the best Shinobi on my forces, hound. _Please_” That was a lot of information to take in on a very short amount of time, he knew. It was also a lot to ask. As he expected, though, his student simply stretched his arms out.

Naruto wanted nothing to do with the stranger in a dog mask, of course.

“Hey Naru, it’s me” Kakashi said, as softly as he could. He brought his right hand to his mask, and pulled it up, so that it was sitting on top of his hair.

The child stopped burring his face on his father’s chest at the voice, and his blue eyes grew impossibly wider.

“Nii-San?” Kakashi’s eyes crinkled.

“I know I have been going on long missions lately, but you don’t know what I look like anymore? I’m hurt” He said, playfully.

“Not fair! I didn’t know you had _two_ masks!” Now that he knew _who_ he was dealing with, stopping him from dropping head first onto the ground was all Minato could do, as the child practically jumped over to Kakashi’s arms.

It took the Hatake no effort at all to place the child over his shoulders.

“Alright. Meet me by the river, in the exact same location where you and Obito used to train at, in around 15 minutes.” He ordered. The gray-haired boy gave a single short nod.

“Yes sir” _Good_. Minato’s expression grew serious. “Kakashi…”

No words were necessary for them to understand each other in that moment.

“I know” he looked up at Naruto, who was now distractedly pulling at his anbu mask, and mumbling something about it.

Kakashi tightened his grip on the boy’s legs, and turned around.

“Dad?” Naruto called, sounding a little desperate once he noticed his dad wasn’t following them. Minato smiled.

“It’s okay, son. I’ll be right behind you. I promise” He seemed to believe his father’s words, because he gave one short nod in agreement.

“Hey Naru? Why don’t we play a game?” Kakashi called, catching the child’s attention as he walked.

“What kind of game?”

“Hide and seek. We need to be quiet and avoid the people with red glowing eyes, okay?”

“Like your left one?”

“Smart boy. Now come on.” Minato watched as his boys jumped up a tree, and disappeared behind the leaves.

* * *

_9 years later..._

It was impressive how fast things could change.

Obito wasn’t that old. Well... _technically_, considering the life expectancy of a shinobi, especially one that had already taken part in a war, he very much was.

Objectively however, he was just a bit older than 30. And yet he had already seen so much.

First his parents had died, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother. She had been very kind and supportive of course, but the fact his sharingan took exceptionally long to awaken had turned him into an outcast in his own clan.

On top of that, since his grandmother was an elderly woman, that meant he had to learn most of the clan’s traditions, especially their secret battle techniques all by himself.

Still, he had done it, and made it through the academy, and then grown into a chunin, despite his years of failed competition against Kakashi.

Obito tightened his grip on the metal bar that kept him from dropping down to the village below.

Hatake was gifted. On top of that, he’d been practically trained from birth by his father, one of the heroes of the village (_or at least he was, until the accident_). He had made jounin by 12, and ANBU shortly after. It had been a losing battle from the start, much as Obito hated to admit.

But then the war had come, and with it his almost death. If his sharingan hadn’t activated when they did, it would have been the end for him. Not that it stopped him from having half his body squashed under a rock.

On the good side, he had finally bonded with Kakashi, to whom he gave one of them, along with an eternal promise to protect Rin. Kakashi accepted his gift, and had bravely used it not only to escape, but to protect both him and Rin from the hidden rock shinobi until their sensei arrived.

After his rescue, countless surgeries and weeks recovering at the hospital had come. Hatake had approached him one afternoon during those, looking to return his eye. Obito refused the offer, of course. He had another one anyway, and now that they were _finally_ a team, it would be the best way to cement their skills, and protect Rin.

_If only that had been true..._

Obito glanced down at the village. Nine years under the Uchiha administration had turned the hidden leaf into a quite powerful military organization for the fire country. One that the other villages certainly couldn’t ignore, and sometimes feared. And so, it’s usually beautiful and peaceful sight had changed to match it.

It hadn’t been the Hokage’s intention, for all he knew about his cousin. Itachi was a peaceful man. From the start of his command, his priority had been making sure the Uchiha and the remaining clans found some common ground, which had proven to be quite the task.

Nonetheless, the fact they had forcefully taken over Konoha, banished the fourth Hokage and killed the third, had not only been harmful to their relationship to the other clans, but also quite alarming to the other villages. They had all begun increasing their military power, in case the 5th Hokage decided they deserved the same treatment. 

And so, Itachi had to follow their lead.

And, Obito had to say, he was impressed with the results in such a short amount of time. 

“Obito sensei!” A pink haired girl waved happily at him, and rushed up the stairs of the Hokage monument, until they were standing next to each other, almost shoulder to shoulder. He smiled.

_She had grown a lot over the past couple years._

“Hey, Sakura. What’s up?”

“Hokage-sama is calling. We have a mission”

“Alright. Tell him I will be right there.” Obito replied, regretfully letting go of the security bars.

“I will, but sensei...” Sakura creased her brows. He frowned.

“What?”

“Try not to be too late this time” Heat burned Obito’s cheeks.

“Hey! I’m not always la-” But his student was already gone, leaving him talking to himself. He sighed.

_Teenagers. _Still, she had a point. Pissing Itachi off was a terrible idea. He made his way to the stairs, to follow after her.

For the briefest of moments, Obito looked up to the Hokage monument, specifically where his former sensei’s head had been carved in stone, shortly after Rin’s death_. The world had indeed changed a lot._

He supposed it was fitting that he was now an elite jounin, with his own genin team (_which had already far outranked that name_) while the genius Kakashi had become a highly wanted nukenin.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was a very lucky man. His father was the head of the police force department, and his brother was of course the Hokage himself.

He had been very young still, when his clan became the highest authority in the village. He didn’t remember much of that time, except for being excited they were going to move closer to his school. As he got older however, he learned the truth at the academy, and of course from his family itself;

The fourth Hokage and his counselors orchestrated a plan to completely destroy the Uchiha clan, leaving no survivors. A horrific feat, that would have mauled his family if his brother, who served as an ANBU directly under the Hokage, hadn’t discovered their plans in time, and exposed them.

Sadly, Itachi’s discovery didn’t happen until after Shisui perished on Danzō's hands. The elder who, whether by karma or bad luck, met the exact same fate.

Sasuke remembered Shisui vaguely. Itachi had been best friends with him though, and he remembered his brother’s grief.

For that, he was happy Danzō got what he deserved.

However defeating Danzō was only the tip of the iceberg. Once he was gone, his ANBU, as well as the Hokages, and several clans had united to finish what the old man had started. Luckily his clan was powerful, and armed with the power of their sharingan, they were able to expel the fourth, and maintain peace on the village.

It had not been all rainbows and sunflowers for him, though.

_Naruto_. He and the blonde kid were only a couple months of age apart, and had known each other for as long as he could remember. Naruto’s mother had been friends with his own mom, and though she passed away shortly after his birth, Naruto’s father and his parents decided to maintain their relationship.

It was probably why he remembered him so vividly, as opposed to everything else.

The only problem was Naruto’s father was the Hokage. And when his plans to destroy the Uchiha failed, and he was forced to leave, he took his son with him. And so, Naruto too had vanished without a trace in the night.

It was really difficult at first, though he had no idea why. They were always competing. Always fighting over the recognition of their teachers. After he left, Sasuke was always first in everything. It had grown... _boring_. And lonely.

He had mourned his (_now_) friend, but between losing a single friend and losing his entire clan, he had no doubt of the worst possible outcome. And so, he had graduated at the top of his class, and became a chunin shorty after. Now, he was well on his way to becoming a jounin, (_whenever his brother and his sensei decided he was fit to do the exam_).

For the time being, however, he had been working as a law enforcer under his father. It was an impressive curriculum considering he was only 16, which was important, given his family’s standards.

Not that it had stopped his father from looking at him differently than he did his older brother, though. A fact that still ached deeply, _especially_ when he was standing in his brother’s office, waiting for the rest of his team to arrive.

“They’re late” Itachi commented.

“Yeah. It seems sensei’s bad habits have affected Haruno too” Itachi perked his eyebrow.

“_Haruno_? Is that what you call your future wife?” Sasuke cringed.

The Haruno clan had also become extremely powerful and influential ever since the coup, due to their significantly precise chakra control. That skill had been immensely important in keeping the other villages away, as well as making sure the coup was successful. Naturally, in order to maintain village politics and remain on their good side, his father had proposed his hand to their heir. 

“Shut up” The corners of Itachi’s lips perked up.

His little brother still had much to learn. 

_“_I’m sorry Hokage-Sama! We are late!” As if on cue, Sakura and Obito both crashed their way into his office, panting heavily.

“I can see that.” He commented, as he waited for them to recompose.

“You know, I would have been here earlier, but there was this old lady and-“

“_Can it, sensei!”_ Both Sakura and Sasuke barked at the same time, making Obito let out a nervous laughter. _Despite of how Sasuke felt about the situation at the moment, those two were indeed a match made in heaven._

“Regardless of the reasoning, I’m glad you are all here now” He intervened, saving his cousin from further embarrassment.

“So? What’s the mission?” Sasuke asked, impatiently folding his arms against his chest.

“Konoha has a deal with grass country, in which we provide them with a certain amount of supplies monthly in exchange for peace, and a safe passage for our troops through their land. For the last couple of months, however, one, maybe two or even three of these food carriages have gone missing.” He stopped, waiting for the other shinobi to process his words.

His brother was the first to speak.

“So, we’re dealing with thieves?”

“Possibly, yes. The last shipment of food departed a couple weeks ago. As expected, most of the carriages reached their destination. All, except two.”

“On the other times this happened, all the shinobi guarding the targeted loads were killed, and everything stolen. This time though, one of them has made it back to the village. In fact, he arrived a couple hours ago.” Itachi explained, holding up a medical file as if to illustrate.

“What’s his status?” Asked Sakura, living up to her rank of medical student.

“The medical team responsible for him at the hospital indicated severe dehydration, and many signs of trauma throughout his body, indicating struggle.” He handed her the file, which she promptly opened.

Obito tilted his head.

“And where do we fit in in this? I don’t suppose we would be able to recover the cargo if we went back to the location the fight happened.”

“You’re right. But after the medical team was able to stabilize him, the man said a few of his colleagues were still alive, and begged us to somehow send help. As they are Konoha Shinobi, I can’t deny that request.”

“You do realize that’s probably a trap, right?” Sasuke intervened, totally unbothered with his manners towards the Hokage. He met his older brother’s eyes. Itachi nodded.

“It is possible. But we have sent teams to these sites before to recover the bodies, and none of them were ever attacked.Whoever is stealing these supplies is only looking for the food. Not a war” The way he explained the last part as if he was dealing with a silly child made rage set on the pit of Sasuke’s stomach.

“But- “

“We’ll do our best, Hokage Sama.” Obito laid a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, softly squeezing it as a warning. “Let’s go”. His brother scoffed, but followed the lead. The two of them exited the room rather quickly after that, leaving only Sakura in front of him.

“As the medical ninja on my team, I would like to thank you for trusting us with this opportunity. I will do my best!” She bowed respectfully.

“Thank you, Sakura. Your skills are precisely why I chose this squadron for the mission. And please forgive my brother. His manners are... lacking” that earned a smile from her.

“Don’t worry about that, Hokage-Sama. Sasuke-kun is a good man”

The bright teenager returned the file to his desk, before following the rest of her team out.

Itachi sighed.

“I would hope so”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually intended for this to be a weekly chapter series, but the response was so good I anticipated this one. (Thank you, guys!) As always, please make sure to leave kudos/comment (not just my work, but any you read). Hope you guys enjoy!

_This was a horrible plan._

Leaving survivors who could undoubtedly identify them, their chakra signatures, and maybe even their fighting styles, depending on how skillful they were, in hopes they would bother to return from Konoha with a medical team to rescue their probably dead comrades was ridiculously risky.

Granted, there were no “_survivors_”. He had seen to that personally. There was a _single_ lone survivor, who he believed was physically capable enough to survive the trip back, but mentally weak enough to be put under a strong genjutsu.

If the man had actually decided his colleague’s lives were worth something, reinforcements should be arriving within the next couple hours. But _still_, things could go sour really fast.

He had no idea what Minato sensei was thinking.

Well... actually, he did. Naruto was getting worse.

It all started around a month ago, with a simple cough during one of their training sessions. Kakashi didn’t think much of it, and neither had anyone else; Naruto’s illnesses never lasted, thanks to kyuubi’s chakra. And so, sensei had left on a mission, completely unbothered.

_Clearly, they had been wrong._

Though things did take longer to escalate because of the demon’s chakra, they had indeed escalated. Dizziness, intermittent fevers, and most recently coughing blood. Naruto put on a strong front, of course. A habit Kakashi himself was annoyingly to blame for.

_Because_ it was his own fault, he knew better than anyone that keeping up a strong front didn’t mean he wasn’t suffering. Just this morning, before heading out, he had approached the younger boy and asked him if he wanted to tag along, an offer that had been completely declined.

Naruto never declined missions before.

The nukenin sighed.

During Minato’s endless travels around the ninja world, looking for allies that would help them take Konoha back, the copy ninja was the one responsible for taking care of him. Sensei had called it an _“S rank mission”_, but reality was this was nothing he wasn’t already used to; After Kushina’s death, he had been practically forced to move to Minato sensei’s apartment, and the Hokage worked long hours...

No, as runaways, that responsibility had only been intensified. It had been harsh at first, but considering he and Naruto already shared a bond, it didn’t take long for him to grow accustomed to his new role. Suffice to say, there was very little he wouldn’t do to protect the boy.

He understood sensei’s worry. He was worried himself. But Hatake Kakashi hadn’t survived a ninja war and almost a decade as an ANBU for no reason. Mixing personal feelings with the mission never ended well, and they had_ a lot_ to lose.

_Well... better stop crying over spilled milk. _He reasoned, forcing his anxiety to stay on check.

He just hoped whoever was coming his way would be easy to deal with.

* * *

Obito lazily bent his knees, and pushed himself off to the next branch, using the air time to stretch his left arm. They had been at this for the better part of two days now and were finally approaching the border with grass.

“This should be close enough” he mumbled to himself, and signaled for his two chunin to stop, which they did.

“We are in the area these men were last seen. Sakura, see if you can track them down”

“Yes sir!” She said, and brought her hands up, forming a special sequence of seals. She closed her eyes.

Aside from being a fantastic medical ninja, Sakura’s chakra control also allowed her to focus a certain amount of it in whatever body part she wanted. Sure, regular ninja could do that to walk on water, for example, but the precision and easiness in which she and her clan were able to do it took things a step further.

“So? Are you done?” Sasuke impatiently asked after a couple minutes.

She opened her eyes.

“This way”

* * *

Focusing your chakra so perfectly and for long amounts of time was exhausting.

It was a skill that had been ingrained in her practically since birth, (_even more so considering she was supposed to take over as clan leader when her father passed)_, but still, doing it in tense situations such as this was always hard.

She glanced around, searching for any indication that an injured group of shinobi had passed through that region recently, but found nothing. Her nose told a different story, however, as the unmistakable smell of iron invaded her nostrils. They may not have visual contact yet, but they were clearly close.

Momentarily slowing down, she tapped on her chakra reservoirs once more, pleased to know she would have enough of it for medical ninjutsu once they found the shinobi. Though she doubted they would be alive at this point.

The thought made her wince.

She was no stranger to death; When the Uchiha had taken over, her clan had been the first to offer their help. It hadn’t been a very long fight. The fourth hokage, for all his talk about being responsible for the safety of all of Konoha’s citizens, had disappeared without a trace, leaving lord third and his followers to be brutally murdered, or thrown into jail.

Their actions were short lived, but it had been enough to leave victims. And she watched some of her friends, and people she knew grow up without parents because of it.

She moved a bit of the chakra focused on intensifying her sight, down to her nose. As expected, it gave her an even clearer notion of where the men were.

_One. Two. Three._

She dropped from the tree, and took a sharp turn left, disappearing behind some bushes.

“Sakura! Wait!” She heard Obito sensei call, but ignored it, picking up the pace instead.

_If there were any men still alive, time was of the essence. _

The bushes lead to a dense part of the forest, where very little sunlight actually made it through the leaves, illuminating the path ahead of her. It was no problem at all, for someone with the skills she possessed.

_Just a little bit more... _

The dense forest path opened itself on a bright clearing. Sakura winced at the change, redirecting the chakra around her eyes to her nose and ears.

The first thing she noticed were the pieces of painted wood scattered all around, which she knew belonged to the merch carriages.

The second were the dead bodies scattered all around.

With her senses heightened as they were, the smell was almost unbearable from this distance. She dizzily took a step back, causing the back of her head to connect with a tree trunk. She cursed under her breath, and quickly signaled rabbit with her right hand, placing it in front of her mouth.

“_Release!” _She said, letting out a relieved breath once things finally went down to a manageable level.

“Whew, it took you guys long enough”

Her heart skipped a beat.

The tree trunk she had bumped into started to move, and it towered over her threateningly.

Except it was no tree trunk.

“Maan, the Uchiha really have no idea how to rule. Sending such a young girl like this into the woods alone” The tall man mocked. He had bright silver hair, and was wearing a black mask, which covered the bottom half of his face, and apparently shifted itself into a shirt, which covered his upper body.

A black coat with red clouds completed the look, and his was awkwardly placed around his body.

From where she stood, she could also see a glimmer of what appeared to be the hilt of a sword peeking from behind his left shoulder.

Sakura screamed.

* * *

As a 3rd great ninja war veteran, Obito was granted many things.

Hiruzen had never bothered with any of it. Whether because there were far too many losses to celebrate the winners, or far too many heroes to offer anything past a congratulatory praise by your hospital bed after a bad diagnosis, he didn’t know.

Obito had been really excited about it then, despite the fact the rock that crushed his right side had cost him a leg _AND_ an arm. His sensei proceeded to call Jiraya-sama at the time, and the old man went after Tsunade, who mended his limbs the best she could.

He was grateful to her, despite her best efforts still not being enough to fix things, and him having to rely on prosthetics. As expected, it all took its toll on the possibility he would ever become a jounin.

_Meanwhile, Kakashi had become a very famous jounin once he mastered his new gift. _

A rank promotion, his name on the history books, and the pleasure of training the future leadership of Konoha were changes that had come with the coup.

Being recognized for your actions, especially after everything he was put through by the past administration and its loyal supporters was an eye opener.

Where before everyone would roll their eyes and laugh at him, now they would aim short respectful nods his way wherever he went. Ask for his opinions and advices on missions, and even casual teaching tips. It was almost like being the Hokage in a way, and part of him really felt like he earned this.

But despite how good his life had become, there was another part to him. One he couldn’t ignore nor shake, no matter how hard he tried. Uchiha Obito had always been a boy that gave his best in order to achieve his goals, and feel like he had truly deserved them. And while his acts hadn’t been small, he had no illusion about his decorations, nor the reason he had received them.

He would be lying if he said the fact it was all simply because he “_had been born on the right clan_” didn’t bother him.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t exactly complain about the change. Besides, his students were fantastic.

Ever since Obito walked into the classroom of the academy and read their names out loud, those two had given their best and more, whether in training or real missions.

And, unlike the other genin teams, they already knew what their skills were, and that they had to work to perfect them.

It all tied back to the fact they were the future of their respective clans and had to honor them. It was the exact reason he was put in charge of two genin, instead of three. Not that the kids needed the extra attention, of course.

Even before he began teaching them, many of their skills were already far past the expected for their age, and he was sure their parents and relatives had a large part to play in that. He could even _affirm_ that much regarding Sasuke.

The one problem with his team? They didn’t listen.

It wasn’t always a major issue. During their training sessions and the low-profile missions, they did obey and act in an extremely respectful manner. It was just when things escalated, especially on high ranked missions such as this, that things got complicated.

Most of the time, despite the limitations on his right leg, he would either arrive in time and coach them through whatever the situation that had unfolded in front of him was, _or _because Itachi-sama was very selective of the missions Sasuke would take part in_, _he and Sakura would have already dealt with the threat by the time he caught up to them.

_But sometimes..._

_“_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” _Shit._

“Sasuke!”

“I got it!” The younger Uchiha sprung to life from somewhere on his left, and flew past him, disappearing beyond the leaves.

He too forced his body to move faster, metal leg clanking as he went, not bothering to keep a stealth approach. It wouldn’t be enough to reach Sasuke, but at the very least, it made him feel better emotionally.

_It would be okay_. He thought, trying to calm himself down. _Sasuke will help her_.

He was sure of it.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke raced past the trees, and deeper into the dense forest, until his sharingan indicated movement somewhere towards his left_._

_ Finally._

Using the tree branch he was in for impulse, he jumped in that direction, flipping in the air a couple times before his feet hit the ground. After they were done eliminating the threat, Sasuke would never let that stupid girl hear the end of this.

Well aware of the lack of sneakiness in his movements, he flung past the bushes, and into the clearing.

The first thing that hit him full force was the smell. His eyes teared up at the intensity of it, and he instinctively squeezed them shut.

He brought his arm up so that his sleeve could cover his nose. So, they _were_ all dead. Which meant he had been right. It was a trap.

“Well well well, it seems the Uchiha weren’t so careless after all. They sent _two_ genin” A male voice mocked, from somewhere in front of him.

Adrenaline kicked in, and despite his body’s instincts he opened his eyes.

There was only a single man in the clearing, as far as he could tell. The silver hair, mask, and sword hanging from his back left him no doubt of who it was.

“Hatake Kakashi” He said, carefully. He had vague memories of the man from his childhood. He knew Hatake and his brother worked together in ANBU, and he’d dare to say they had even been friends.

He looked nothing like what Sasuke remembered.

The ANBU armor was replaced by what once was a black robe. The sleeves had been ripped off, exposing the muscles on his arms. Worn out black gloves covered his hands, the metal details that should be attached to their backs had been long ripped off. The robe was also completely torn in his abdomen, which was instead covered by a black undershirt, leaving only the collar around his neck, and a red rag that ran across his chest, with a single red cloud in it.

The mention of his name seemed to catch the man’s attention, meaning Sasuke was correct about that being his name.

He stared straight at Sasuke with icy cold eyes, one of which was a sharingan, sending shivers down the dark-haired teen’s spine.

Clearly the wardrobe and his age weren’t all that had changed. There was something dark about him, as if a heavy aura hung around him and wouldn’t let go.

The fact that Sakura’s limp body was hanging from his left shoulder certainly didn’t help.

The corners of the man’s eyes crinkled.

“Oh? Hokage-Sama is teaching the younglings about S-Ranked criminals? How interesting” The smile reached his voice, making him sound very friendly. The attempt did nothing to dissipate the tension surrounding him, however.

It was as if he was a wolf, calmly hounding his prey before going for a single fatal attack.

“We’re chunin. And this was meant to be a rescue mission.” He answered, carefully. The Uchiha was no idiot. The only reason he was still breathing right now was the fact Hatake was interested in extracting information from him. He had to do his best to keep things that way. Sasuke swallowed, ignoring the cold drops of sweat that were raining down his face.

“Of course. Save the poor wounded Shinobi that were ambushed on a mission. Well...” Kakashi exaggeratedly looked around, completely unfazed at the decomposing bodies scattered at his feet. “It was a trap. But I’m sure even a chunin like you already knows that”

Sasuke’s stomach turned.

_Why the hell was Obito sensei taking so long? _The fear must have been clear in his face, because Kakashi chuckled.

“Don’t worry, kid. I already got what I needed.” He moved his arm slightly, making Sakura’s body move with it.

“Go back home and tell your Hokage what an idiot he is for sending two unaccompanied children to an obvious trap. Really, I thought I taught him better than that” _Taught him?_ Hatake Kakashi had taught _his brother_? That put him on a whole different level of skill.

Reality sunk in and he suddenly knew the man was going to leave with Sakura, and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

Rage mixed with helplessness washed over his limbs.

“my bro- _the_ _Hokage_” he fixed, a second too late. _Fuck_.

“Sasuke-kun, eh? You grew up! I almost didn’t recognize you.” The carefree tone remained, but his eyes didn’t match it this time. As if he was finally taking the situation seriously.

_This was it_. This was the end for him. He tried to run, scream, even fight back, but he simply couldn’t. His body wouldn’t respond.

He simply stood there, pathetically waiting for the older man to strike.

“Well, I hate to cut this reunion short, but I have to get going.” To his surprise, Hatake simply turned around, and begun moving away.

Then, as suddenly as he had started walking, he stopped.

“Ah and one last thing. When you see Itachi, tell him I’m_ disappointed_” The nukenin dropped his act completely at the end of the sentence, allowing Sasuke feel the full weight of his despair. It was all he could do not to start shaking.

And just like that, the man resumed his movement.

He, Uchiha Sasuke, the heir to the Uchiha clan had been completely outmatched without making a single move. Let his wife-to-be be taken without making a single move. _What would Obito sensei think? And the village?_

What would his_ brother _think_? _Gritting his teeth,he reached for his back pocket, and pulled out a kunai.

With his sharingan activated, he rushed forward.

“As if I would just let you walk away! Die!” Keeping a safe distance between himself and the man, he flung the kunai straight at Kakashi’s head.

Almost instantly, something yellow dropped from a nearby tree, and the sound of metal on metal reached rung on his ears, before his weapon fell flat on the forest ground, very far from its target.

Sasuke however was more concerned about the yellow thing. Only it wasn’t a thing.

His eyes widened.

_That was..._

“You should be more careful” Condemned Naruto, completely ignoring Sasuke’s presence.

He, who was kneeling on the ground after the fall, pushed his body up, turning his head so he could look at Hatake. “What would you have done if I wasn’t here?” The nukenin simply shrugged.

“That’s what I have you for” The smaller ninja growled in annoyance, something that was completely disregarded by the other.

“Come on. We have to go”

“Naruto...?” Sasuke half whispered, half said.

At first, nothing happened. He thought he would be ignored, or that the hallucination he was most likely having would dissipate in front of his eyes.

That’s right! Hatake had a sharingan, and was a very qualified shinobi. He could very have put Sasuke under genjutsu without him knowing. That was probably it.

Naruto tilted his head forward again, finally acknowledging his question. 

Sasuke had expected a lot. He hadn’t seen his classmate in years, and so there would obviously be physical changes. Naruto had clearly gotten taller, for one. Sasuke had changed a lot himself.

What he didn’t expect, was the pair of rage filled red eyes that perfectly matched the red clouds on his robe staring back at him.

That wasn’t genjutsu. No, there was no way sharingan oriented illusions could convey such a penetrating glare.

Uzumaki Naruto was standing in front of him, after all those years. _Except…_

This was a mistake. Had to be. There was no way the overexcited blue-eyed blonde boy could ever hold so much hatred in his eyes.

_No_. That was definitely _not_ his childhood rival.

“_Naruto_!” Hatake hissed, leaving him no space to deny it any longer. The world swirled around him. The other boy finally turned around, breaking the eye contact.

“See you around, _Sasuke_”


	3. Chapter 3

“Sasuke! Sakura!” Obito screamed, completely past keeping any level of discretion.

Finally, one of his students was within his line of sight. Activating his sharingan, Obito quickly surveyed the area, but there were no trace of enemies, past a single kunai which laid on the ground. Sakura however was nowhere to be seen.

It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together._ Fuck!_

Reacting to the sound of his voice, Sasuke’s head tilted up. Thankfully, he seemed completely unharmed.

“Sensei!” The boy replied, clearly glad to see him. Obito kept moving until they were only a few feet apart. From this distance, he could tell how emotionally shaken his student was.

He allowed his red eyes to fade.

“What happened here?” Obito asked, as gently as he possibly could. The younger Uchiha’s gaze dropped.

“He... He took Sakura.” Just as Obito suspected. He felt a pang on his chest. _God_, the girl was so young. Definitely an amazing kunoichi for her age, but still so inexperienced and innocent.

_Just like...** no.**_

He dug his nails into his own palm until they drew blood.

Maybe... maybe they would still be able to get her back. Murder clearly was not this man’s intention, whoever he was. Otherwise, why would he take her body? And why would he allow Sasuke to live?

They could try to track him down. Or, at the very least, negotiate her release. He laid a comforting hand on the chunin’s shoulder.

“Who did? Did you see what he looks like?” He couldn’t control the urgency in his voice. His cousin nodded.

There was nothing that could have prepared him for Sasuke’s next words.

“Hatake Kakashi.”

* * *

_Holy. Fucking shit._

Of all the terrible alternatives his mind had come up with of how this mission could go sideways, none of them even_ came close_ to what had actually happened. Not only did he go up against Uchiha Sasuke himself, he also captured his teammate, who, judging by the bright pink colored hair, was a Haruno.

It was absolute luck that made those two be alone, even if they were apparently chunin level. Someone with such connection to the Hokage and leadership of the village in general should be guarded at all times, and by extremely skilled shinobi.

_“My bro- the hokage!”_ He almost felt bad for the kid, leaving him all alone in the middle of nowhere like that. He hoped he’d at least learned to keep his mouth shut after this. Then again, the copy nin did hear a few metallic sounds closing in on them at the end, after Naruto saved him from being stabbed. Whoever that was, he did not want to be in their skin once they returned to the Leaf.

_Not that their situation was much better, of course. _

There was absolutely no way Itachi would simply let that slide. No, he would hunt them down to the end of the earth and back, if possible, and he would be sending the best of his ANBU to do it.

Kakashi felt his brain spring into action with the possibilities.

Considering the amount of time it took for the duo to reach their trap, which was of two days, the trip back to Konoha would take around the same time. There would then be at least a third one for planning and preparations, as Itachi would need to gather his chosen ANBU squadron, and they would need to prepare for the mission. The ANBU then would have to go back through the same path Itachi’s brother had, but it would not take them half as long. Twenty-four hours at most, and he was pushing it.

It meant they had exactly four days before things got extremely serious.

_They had to leave the country._ Preferably the second they reached the hiding spot they were using as a base.

Maybe in a few weeks, once the dust had hopefully settled, he would be able to return to Konoha and meet his informant tosee how everything was. But for now, they had to-

“Ergh!” Naruto gagged, then proceeded to cough violently. In the end, he heaved, and a reddish mass left his lips, splashing somewhere down below.

“Sorry.” Naruto said, once he realized he was being watched. He wiped his mouth with the back of his jacket.

Kakashi cursed under his breath. _Of course_. He almost forgot to mention his rebellious teenager, who had apparently followed him despite being severely debilitated, and effectively revealed himself to Konoha’s leadership.

_Could this day get any better? _

He jumped to the next tree branch.

“How bad is it?” Kakashi did not bother to turn his head.

“I can make it” Naruto’s tone did not inspire much confidence. In fact, his voice was almost sluggish.

Not wanting to count with luck yet again, Kakashi _did_ turn his head, not at all surprised to confirm that the boy’s movements were getting slower, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

The copy nin brought his thumb to his lips, completely ignoring the glove as he sunk his teeth in. Being careful not to drop the girl, he made a couple hand signs.

“Kuchyose no jutsu!” As expected, his pack appeared in a poof of smoke, Pakkun as the leader.

“Pakkun!” Naruto tried to sound surprised, but what came out was barely a whisper.

It wasn’t long before he missed the branch, and dropped head first to the forest ground.

Bull was there in seconds, cushioning the fall with his back, as he caught him mid- air.

“I take it pup hasn’t been getting better?” Pakkun asked, matching his master’s pace.

“You could say that” Kakashi glanced back at the now unconscious boy. Luckily, Bull appeared to have balanced him well enough that he wouldn’t fall without having to hold on.

“The girl on your shoulder. Is she a doctor?”

“Yes.”

“I hope she can help”

“Me too” Was his honest reply.

His ninken must have sensed his apprehension, because they all remained quiet after that, clearly giving him some space. He appreciated it.

Eventually though, it was time to get back on track.

He glanced at Pakkun.

“I need you to hurry on ahead and deliver a message to Minato sensei for me. And the rest of you, I need you to cover our tracks.” If everything was on schedule, sensei would be returning from his mission at this point. Either way, he needed to hear about the complications of the mission as soon as possible.

“You got it, boss!” Pakkun replied. With their new orders in hand, all his ninken vanished. _All_ except for Bull, who was trailing behind him, with a passed-out Naruto on his back.

“Are you sure you can handle his weight? I can carry them both if it’s being too much” Bull simply rose his ears.

“Worry about the girl, and I will worry about the boy”

Kakashi knew better than to question him.

* * *

Itachi was pissed.

It wasn’t something that happened often, he admitted. Lord Fifth was known for being calm, and thinking his way out of complicated situations. It wasn’t something he learned, but rather something that he was born with. A personality trait, cemented in his soul by the third great ninja war, when his father would take him to the battlefields, despite his young age.

He supposed it was a political movement on his part. A way to keep the clan motivated, by showing even the family of their leader was actively fighting for their cause. Whatever the reason was, it all had absolutely horrified him. Yet, for whatever reason, he still remained expressionless and contained. Still played his role, and put an end to many of the enemies who might have survived otherwise.

_Peace…_ that’s all he wanted to maintain, from that moment on, and that was what he dedicated his efforts to. Making sure no child would ever have to experience such horrors again. 

Regardless, it was very hard to keep calm after learning the heir of their most important allies had been kidnapped, and what that would imply for the Uchiha government, should she not be found.

War. A civil war, that would destroy the very foundations of the peace he’d so carefully built for the village. For his brother.

_Sasuke._

The fact Obito had simply not protected his brother, but rather allowed him to go against Hatake Kakashi _AND_ a jinchuriki all by himself was certainly not helpful. He could have died. He _would_ have died, if Kakashi wanted it that way.

_So then... why hadn’t he?_

“He told me to deliver a message.” Sasuke explained, shyly. A feature that was unusual to him, and certainly one that was caused by their failed mission.

“He said he was disappointed”

“The opinion of a traitor means nothing to me” He replied, trying his best to maintain an even tone. Sasuke did not need him to lose his head right now. If anything, he needed comfort. Being helpless against a nukenin and losing a friend were definitely being hard to digest.

He hoped his words would be enough to soothe his brother, but doubted it. Their father had instilled in both of them a need for perfection and approval. It was something Sasuke had catered to that a lot more than Itachi ever did.

“Hokage sama, with all due respect, whether you value his opinion or not is entirely irrelevant” Obito spoke up, finally joining the conversation. “He still took one of my students.”

“I am aware. In fact, I remember sending a _jounin_ on this mission to watch over her.” Obito shrunk on himself.

_Good_. He had to learn just how badly he had messed up, and most importantly, how to keep his mouth shut.

Everything they worked for, _gone_. Just like that. And he _still_ dared to act defiant.

Itachi leaned forward on his desk, locking his sharingan on Obito’s black eyes.

“Clearly your health issues cannot remain overlooked any longer. They are compromising your mission success rates. Perhaps we should find you a more suitable position” The jounin paled.

“Hokage sama, please. I-“

“Nii-san, stop it.” Intervened Sasuke, who moved to stand protectively in front of his sensei. “It wasn’t his fault. It’s mine. I- I let her be taken” 

Itachi leaned back against his chair almost automatically.

“Is that so? Well then. Rather than stripping him from his role immediately, I will place him under supervision over the next few weeks.” He maintained his focus on Sasuke while speaking.

“If you want to keep your position, I suggest you do your job properly” his tone was much lighter now, but it did not stop the message from getting across.

Obito nodded once.

“Yes sir. Thank you, Hokage-sama” His cousin bowed and reached for the door, leaving only his brother in front of him.

“You’ve become such a jerk since you took this job” Sasuke whined, before leaving as well, definitely after his sensei.

Itachi was sure this would not be the end of it. His father would definitely give him hell for this _“less than friendly_” behavior with another clan member. For now, however, his thoughts wandered elsewhere...

He pushed the chair softly, making it rotate slightly under his weight.

_Disappointed, huh? _

He supposed he understood. Kakashi was his mentor when Danzō enrolled him as an ANBU, and at times the only friend he could confide in. To feel betrayed by someone like that... yes. “_Disappointed_” was a good way to put it.

Itachi hadn’t betrayed him, though. Quite the opposite.

Should he have remained in the village, Hatake Kakashi would have been offered a highly important position in his government. Possibly as the head of all his ANBU forces. And should he ever get tired of being nothing more than a weapon, Itachi would have gladly allowed him to retire, and relocated him to a new, but still strong position. Probably even as Sasuke’s sensei.

_ It would certainly be a better option that Obito. _

Instead, his captain had chosen to run. To brand himself a nukenin, and protect his sensei, and his “_little brother_”.

While he understood and even shared some of his former captain’s attachment to the jinchuriki who once was Sasuke’s best friend, he would _never_ understand his blind loyalty to Minato, after all the man had put him through.

_Had Lord Fourth ever seen the darkness that took over his pupil’s soul whenever Team Ro was sent on another mission?_ He was sure it wasn’t the case.

Itachi wondered where all that undying loyalty was, when they were told to watch over his own clan through surveillance cameras. When Shisui was brutally murdered by Danzō, who only days earlier had ordered him to annihilate his entire clan, at the cost of his brother’s head.

His blood boiled. 

_If Kakashi wanted to be disappointed in him, he could wallow in it_.

“Kinoe?” Almost immediately, an ANBU with a cat mask was kneeling in front of him.

“Yes, Hokage-Sama?”

“Summon your best soldiers. I have a mission for you”

“Yes sir!” The ANBU disappeared almost as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Itachi to his duties. He sighed, already dreading the moment he would have to contact the Haruno.


	4. Chapter 4

“We’re home” Kakashi gratefully said to no one in particular the second he and Bull hopped from the nearest tree to the cave they’d been using.

It was still somewhat bright outside, and the sunlight only illuminated the cave partially. The shinobi hurriedly placed the still unconscious girl down, making sure her back was leaning against one of the walls, then proceeded to tie her hands behind her back with the rope he’d bought in the wind country a few weeks ago.

Satisfied with his work, he trailed after Bull, helping him to ease Naruto onto his makeshift bed.

As soon as his hand came in contact with the boy’s arm, he felt the heat that was emanating from him.

“Crap. Bull, can you please grab me one of the water containers? And some towels, while you’re at it” The dog complied, putting his nose to the floor in a clear effort to identify just where those things were.

_“_Don’t worry Naru. You’ll be better in no time.” He mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. Medical ninjutsu wasn’t his specialty, but he knew enough to at least keep Naruto stable until sensei arrived. Then they could-

“I would hope so”

Kakashi’s eyes widened.

“Minato sensei!” 

Minato smiled reassuringly at him in acknowledgement, but it was clear who his concern actually was.

“I came as soon as Pakkun told me, thanks to the marked Kunai. How is he?” He knelt by his student’s side, next to Naruto’s trembling form.

“Not good. He sneaked after me for kilometers, then jumped in my fight with the leaf shinobi. We started heading back to the hideout, but he collapsed.” A feeling of dread took over the former Hokage, as he allowed himself to look at his son.

Under the familiar Akatsuki cloak, Naruto was wearing a black and orange jacket, and orange pants, which Minato had never seen before. A few bandages were wrapped around the middle of his right thigh, for impact reduction, and gloves that matched Kakashi’s covered his hands, with the only difference being he had also added the red leather accessory Jiraya sensei had given him (alongside a speech about _attracting pretty girls, o_r something) to the leather. To finish, his hidden leaf bandana, which Minato had personally given him once he was able to master rasengan, hung on his forehead.

Minato tried not to think about the huge gash carved on the metal.

Bull returned then, with a water bottle on his mouth, and Pakkun brought rags that were almost comically too big for his mouth. None of that seemed to matter to the jounin, as he eagerly took them, skillfully wetting the tissue, and placing it over Naruto’s forehead.

It was only when his jacket was unzipped so that one of those rags could be placed over the seal on his stomach that Minato realized how pale and malnourished the teenager truly was.

_He should have stayed in the village. He would have been killed, of course, but Naruto’s safety could have been ensued. _

“Minato sensei!” His former student’s tone brought him back to reality.

“Help me with the towels. Come on” Minato obliged, and the other ninja resorted to focusing chakra on his hands until a small green light emanated from them.

Once the towels were placed, and Kakashi’s chakra reached a new low, there was nothing they could do but sit and wait. Both ninken also joined them in that task, instead of simply vanishing.

Agonizingly long minutes passed, before his son stopped shaking.

The climate in the room significantly improved after that, and everyone took a deep, long breath.

Satisfied, but still somewhat dizzy from his effort, Kakashi wet Naruto’s forehead towel one last time, before covering him with a blanket.

He then turned to Minato, with the same usual calm and efficiency that the older man had always envied.

“Did you get my message, sir?”

“Yes. It’s been a while since I last saw Pakkun” The pug wagged its tail in acknowledgement.

“It’s always a pleasure, Hokage-sama” it was only then his student seemed to realize the animals were still there. All it took was on look at the dogs, before they got to their feet.

“Well. We’ll be going now. The rest of the pack is finishing up on covering your tracks as we speak”

“Thank you, Pakkun. Bull.” And just like that, both dogs were gone in a poof of white smoke.

Now that they were completely alone, Minato resumed his story.

“I met with the mercenaries again. They are on board with our plan, so long as they get paid.” He confided.

“And _what is_ their payment, exactly?”

“Our _friend_ is taking care of that.” He replied. Kakashi straightened out.

“I see. Well, before we deal with that, we need to deal with the message Pakkun delivered to you.” 

“There are a few places over the border where we’ll be safe at for the time being. But Naruto’s health...” Minato’s eyes got clouded with worry. He never had any trouble keeping his promise to Kushina, until now.

“That’s why me and Naruto captured a healer. And a pretty valuable one, I have to say” Kakashi pointed with his head in the girl’s direction. His teacher followed his gaze, surprised to see a fourth person passed out by the cave’s entrance.

By her age, she would definitely be one of Naruto’s classmates, if they’d stayed in the village. The pink hair was a clear indication she belonged to the Haruno clan. The fourth vaguely remembered speaking to its members a few times at the Hokage’s office, but they were not an important or influential clan until after the coup.

It was just one more of the things he wished he had paid more attention to, before it all came crumbling down on him. As it was though, and given _who_ she was paired up with in the genin teams, she was probably the heir of the clan.

“She is definitely valuable in terms of Konoha politics, but she’s still young. I’m not sure if she has enough medical knowledge” He almost regretted saying those words. Kakashi cared so much about Naruto, and always protected him the best way possible. Undermining that over a single questionable action was really not what he wanted to do.

The 29-year-old shrugged, trying to mask the fact he shared the same concerns.

“One way to find out.” He got to his feet, and walked over to where he’d left the girl.

Minato wondered for the millionth time if he’d made the right decision all those years ago.

* * *

Sakura was cold.

Not cold enough to be freezing, but cold enough that it could be night time. Her arms felt numb behind her back, clearly restrained, and she was sitting on a hard, cool surface.

The realization sent a bolt of adrenaline through her body. She forced herself to stay still, as the gears on her head started turning. She was on a mission with Obito sensei and Sasuke, and they had reached the borders when-

The renegade from the leaf. He’d knocked her unconscious by the look of it, and then took her. But... _why?_

She was taught about renegades at the academy, of course. They were Shinobi who abandoned the village, and would do anything to bring it down. It was also possible for them to work with nukenin from other villages for that goal, even, and were known for killing anyone who dared cross their path. _Except..._

If that was really the case, how come she was still alive? Did she even want to find that out? The priority at the moment was definitely finding a way to escape.

Sakura focused a bit of the chakra she had left, trying to heighten her hearing.

_“I met with the mercenaries again. They are on board with our plan, so long as they get paid.” _A soft, male voice commented.

Mercenaries? _Of course! _

She was the only heir to one of the most important clans in Konoha. They had no shortage of enemies, and obviously whoever took her would receive quite a fantastic amount of ryo as ransom.

_Bastards! _She clenched her fist, but let go instantly.

Her captors couldn’t know she was awake. _Not yet_.

She tried to focus chakra on her ears again. It seemed the man was done speaking now, which allowed her to listen to the background.

There was a distinct humidity to the air, and water droplets echoed from somewhere not very far away. That, allied to the cold, and the hard surface could only mean one thing.

A cave. The nukenin had taken her to a cave. That knowledge wasn’t very helpful though. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious for, and there were probably hundreds of caves in the fire country.

She repressed a frustrated groan.

“Maaa, I know I hit you in the head, but faking a coma is a bit too much” The same man from earlier spoke, sarcastically.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, expecting to see her kidnapper’s red gaze.

This time, she stated, his sharingan was covered by a leaf head protector that was awkwardly placed on his head, and had a huge gash over the symbol, clearly marking him as a renegade. Though she couldn’t see the bottom half of his face, the fake glee was clear in his eyes. What caught her attention though, was the new figure standing next to him.

He was tall, and his long blonde hair fell messily over his shoulders. Just like the other, he wore a dark cloak with red clouds in it. Only in his case, the cloak was much better preserved. Blue pieces of cloth were tied to his upper arms by white straps, and his nails were covered by black nail polish. Also like his partner, he had a black undershirt and black pants, with the difference being his were white near his stomach.

He did not look half as amused as the younger man. In fact, if anything, his ocean blue eyes transmitted pain. Despite that, he still tried to offer her a warm smile.

“Please forgive my associate. It was on my orders he kidnapped you, and I assure you this would not have happened if we had any other alternative.”

Sakura’s jaw practically dropped.

_Who on earth kidnapped someone and gave a sincere apology the second they woke up? _This had to be a joke.A huge prank of some sort made by Ino, who hadn’t talked to her ever since she learned Sakura was to marry Sasuke.

But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be, because she knew one of them was Hatake Kakashi from her bingo book, as well as the history lessons on war criminals at the academy. This was real. She actually had been kidnapped, and had every right in the world to hold a grudge for that.

“I-What?” The silver haired nukenin snorted, but regained composure the second he noticed the glare the other man had given him.

Sakura had dealt with so many different criminals through the years, including being kidnapped once. She heard their lies, and empty promises again and again, which was why she knew that no matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, this man’s apology was sincere.

And just like that, annoyingly against her wishes, all the rage that had been bottled up at the pit of the girl's stomach dissipated, leaving only confusion.

“You are a medical ninja, right?” She realized she was expected to answer, and decided to nod.

“I’m really sorry it came to this, but there really was no alternative.” There it was, the sincere apology again. Sakura said nothing.

“I’m sure you understand why people like us can’t just go to a hospital, or anything of the sort” _Oh. _

This wasn’t a plot to get money out of their family, or a trap to lure in Konoha’s best shinobi and kill them. No, they simply wanted her to heal them. 

But, as honest as the blonde man was being, she just could not do that.

“As a Konoha chunin, I am not allowed to heal enemies. _Especially_ traitors” She met Hatake’s eye.

“So you’d just rather die than break a rule?” He asked, in an icy tone.

“By the fifth Hokage’s laws, the punishment for doing so would already be death” That information seemed to take him by surprise. Sakura pleasantly watched his mouth shift under the mask, as he tried to put his thoughts into words.

“Luckily, that won’t be necessary.” The other man intervened, somewhat harshly, but none of it was aimed at her.

“Kakashi and I are grown shinobi, and we can accept death if it is our time. We understand if you don’t need you to help us, but _please_ help my son.” He then took a short step to the right, allowing her to see there was a third person in their group.

He was laying on a camping bag, with what she believed was supposed to be a wet towel over his forehead, a clear attempt to bring his body temperature down. His eyes were closed, and he was clearly unconscious.

The boy was blonde like his father, and though he was clearly malnourished and dehydrated, she could not get over the distinctive claw-like scars on both his cheeks. 

_“Hi, Sakura-Chan!” _Her old classmate’s cheerful voice rung through her ears.

_Naruto_. She hadn’t seen him in years, ever since Hokage-sama rose to power. And yet here he was. Lying in front of her. She was sure of it.

And...

_“Please, help my son.”_ His son.

There was no denying the resemblance. Despite the fact the older man’s hair was considerably longer, they were both blonde, and shared far too many facial features. If Naruto was awake, his deep blue eyes would be one more of those. But that wasn’t necessary. No one would ever deny he was Naruto Uzumaki’s father. And Naruto’s father was...

She felt all the color drain from her face.

Despite the fact he now wore a black cloak, and dark clothes instead of the white cloak and jounin vest, there was no denying who he was. Her eyes widened.

His father was Namikaze Minato. _And Minato was..._

“L-Lord fourth?” She did her best to keep her voice from cracking.

The blonde man’s expression went blank, as if he hadn’t heard that name in a very long time. Eventually though, his lips curled up in another smile.

“I guess you were one of my son’s classmates, after all.” Sakura shook her head.

“Just answer me. Is it true?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

It was at that moment Sakura realized just how screwed she actually was.

* * *

Kinoe had been in the ANBU for many years.

How many exactly, he couldn’t say. That would demand knowing how old he was, and he simply did not have access to that information. Objectively, he knew he was kidnapped by Orochimaru as an infant, and then experimented on. In reality, however, he had no recollection of who he was, nor of where he’d come from.

His earliest memories were of Orochimaru’s laboratory, of being inside one of those dreaded experimentation tubes, alongside many other “special” children. After that, Danzō-sama had taken him in, placing him in the ANBU directly under his command.

He supposed he was on his mid-twenties now. Considering he had been a child when he was first gifted his uniform, he could say without a doubt that he was currently the most experienced shinobi in the whole organization.

It meant he had lived, no_, survived_ through many things, most of them considered to be nothing but rumors these days.

It was an understatement to say Danzō’s death turned his life upside down.

First, came the end of Ne. As people who had no idea of what happened under the walls of the organization, but knew Danzo’s schemes really well, the previous kage decided to erase it completely, and relocate or discharge most of those who were associated with it at the time. Tenzo supposed the idea should have shocked him, or at least affected him emotionally somehow. It was the place he had grown up in, and the man who had raised him. But after being under Lord Fourth’s command for so long, all he could feel was relief.

_“Are you sure you are okay?” Kakashi senpai asked the following morning, when they were getting ready for a new day at work._

_“Yes. Honestly, I’m relieved. At least that way no more kids will have to suffer through Danzō’s insanities”_

Even now, he still wished that were true. Senpai for his part had agreed with him. He was acting somewhat tense for the few days prior, thanks to the conflict between the Uchiha and hokage-sama, but it all seemed mercifully past him at that moment.

Tenzō was the same way.

For the first time in a very long time, he actually felt the darkness that surrounded the village could finally begin lifting its grasp.

With some luck, maybe one day even organizations as big as the ANBU would no longer be necessary, though he had to admit the idea scared him a little. After all, he never knew anything else.

Unfortunately, Danzō-Sama did not die alone. He dragged Uchiha Shisui with him, causing the rest of his clan to rebel, Itachi alongside them. He still recalled the sirens going off, and how high the tension in the headquarters was, as they prepared to march out into the chaos-stricken streets, with orders to _stop the mess._

_“Our mission is to eliminate the threats, and save as many civilians as possible. We are the only hope of the leaf!” Said Lord Third, in a clear effort to rile up the troops._

_“Yes sir!” They all responded in one voice._

_“Alright, team Ro, with me” Senpai called, and they all complied, gathering in a corner as not to get in the way of the other troops. “You heard sandaime. Let’s make sure we do this as swiftly and efficiently as possible.”_

_“Yes sir!” The team answered._

_“It is a bit unusual for Hiruzen-Sama to be taking the lead. Is Yondaime okay?” Yugao asked, with genuine curiosity._

_Hound simply averted his gaze._

_“I hope so” There was no emotion on his voice, but it was significantly quieter. Too quiet, even for him. _

_Tenzō’s heart went out to his captain._

_The Hokage’s ANBU and Team Ro had been his family ever since he was rescued from the foundation by Kakashi senpai himself. Being an ANBU, however, was an eternal life or death mission. Teammates would come and go, and the ones who remained became more and more closed off and detached as time went by, something he too was guilty of._

_The bonds he forged were not quite what others would describe as family. Nevertheless, they were really close, in ways other people would not understand. _

_It was for that reason he supposed he understood; Losing this battle would mean the loss of his family for his Taichou. And loss was a sentiment he knew up close. _

_As quickly as that sudden weakness appeared, however, it was gone. Hound rose his head, and proudly stared at the shinobi under his command._

_“We are to take care of the Main Street, near the Inuzuka and Hyuuga compounds. No matter what, try to stay together. Remember our training. Dismissed!” And just like that, their squadron hushed towards their mission, ready to try and contain the mess._

* * *

_The streets were of course a complete mess. Even though the attack had just begun, bodies of shinobi and civilians alike were scattered through the ground, as people desperately ran past them, trying to find somewhere safe to hide._

_It was a struggle to reach their designed location, but once it did happen, highly trained as they were, it didn’t take long to access the situation. And then, they begun working._

_He still had no idea how the “sticking together” part of their plan had come undone. It was standard ANBU procedure, and saved Team Ro’s lives countless times through the years. _

_All he knew, was that in one minute he had clear visuals on everyone else, and what their positions were. The next, a house at the end of the street had gone up in flames. He rushed over to help, and managed to save an elderly woman and her granddaughter, before it all crashed down behind him._

_“Go to the emergency shelters. Hurry” He told them, and watched as they made their way down the street, and out of his sight, before turning around to access the situation once more._

_By that point, he was already completely alone._

_Dammit._

_Still, there was no need to panic. His teammates were undoubtedly nearby, as they were to stay in that specific compound. Besides, it would be extremely unlikely, (not to say impossible) for his senpai to leave him behind._

_“Hey! Cat mask!” A man shouted, catching his attention. He was holding a broken glass bottle, and his eyes shone red under the moonlight. Oh great._

_He turned towards the man, and assumed a defensive position. He would have to worry about his team later. For now, duty called._

* * *

_At some point much later in the night, silence mercifully surrounded him. He was not able to rea looked around wearily, but there was no one in sight. They had finally won._

_Sighing in relief, he limped his way towards the nearest house, ignoring how his now sticky and wet vest rubbed against his skin. He leaned against the wall, and removed his mask with shaky hands, finally allowing himself to breathe._

_It was a shame he was not able to reunite with his team after all, but at least it was finally over. _

_Only it wasn’t._

_Around twenty, maybe thirty Uchiha appeared in front of him at once. He didn’t even have the time to react, before being put under a genjutsu and dragged him away._

_When he awoke next, he was lying on his stomach on what he recognized as the headquarters, his arms securely tied behind his back. _

_As fate would have it, he wasn’t alone anymore. As a matter of fact, most of what was left of the leaf’s ANBU force seemed to be in that exact same position._

_That explained a lot. _

_“T-enzō” Yugao’s unmistakable voice called, from his left. He swiftly turned his head, ignoring the sudden dizziness that accompanied the movement._

_“Don’t worry. I’m here.” And so were Yōji and Kō. He moved his head again, this time to the other side, looking for other faces he knew. It all had been pointless after all. The Uchiha had gotten everyone. Except..._

_Senpai._

_The captain wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. He was the best of them by far, and if they all had lived through the ordeal, then so had he. On top of that, it didn’t appear as though the Uchiha were interested in killing people at random either. _

_But Kakashi was not a random person. He was intimately tied to the fourth hokage, and his family. And he was the only person outside their clan to possess a sharingan. _

_“W-where...?” Yūgao asked once more, clearly not still entirely out of the genjutsu’s grasp._

_That’s right. He couldn’t afford to worry about his friendships now. The mission came first, and since the captain was absent, that made him the captain. And a captain’s job was to take care of their team._

_“Headquarters. It seems they are bringing all of us that they can capture here.”_

_Maybe Kakashi hadn’t been taken yet. Yes, that was more likely than death. In fact, he was probably trying to find a way to help them. And if that was the case, Tenzō had to contribute the best way he could._

_He didn’t have time to ponder on just what the best way to do that was, though, as two pairs of sandals landed immediately in front of him._

_“I see you’re as sharp as ever, Tenzō” _

_“Apparently not sharp enough, Itachi-San” he glanced up at the younger man, staring straight into the red eyes that had been responsible for so many deaths, both now and in the past._

_The Uchiha let out an amused sound, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they had returned to their usual black color._

_“I suppose so.” Somehow his presumptuous tone irritated the ANBU even further._

_“So, you got us. What is the plan?” He tested his bonds, unsurprised to learn they didn’t budge._

“_I want to make a deal” was the honest response._

_What?_

_“Konoha fell. The third Hokage is dead, as are most of the Sarutobi, and those who supported him. The other clans have already proclaimed their official surrenders.”_

_“And the fourth?” Itachi shrugged._

_“He and the jinchuriki will be under our grasp soon enough.” The brown haired snorted._

_“I doubt that. Lord fourth is a genius, and the legitimate ruler of the leaf. He will surely escape a bunch of traitors.” The words poured out his mouth like a stream. It didn’t matter anymore. He was already done for. The least he could do was at let all his rage out, before it was ripped from him. _

_“Tenzō, don’t-“_

_“It’s alright, Yugao. I’m sure our teammate feels very betrayed at the moment, and can’t help himself.” The calm in Itachi’s voice only pissed his former teammate off further. _

_“I do have to say his betrayal however is misplaced.” The other man frowned. _

_“What could you possibly even mean by that?” Itachi calmly glanced across the room._

_“It seems all living ANBU teams are here. All of them complete, with their respective captains. All but Team Ro.” Tenzō clenched his fists, ignoring the burn at the wrists that came with doing so. _

_“If you hurt Kakashi senpai, I swear- “The corners of Itachi’s lips perked up, causing the ANBU to stop talking immediately._

_He knew that smile. That same sadistic smile the younger boy used to wear whenever one of his plans worked during a mission, right before slaying the enemy down. _

_Tenzō could not stop his heart from hammering against his ribs._

_“What-” He was interrupted by the sound of the doors to the room being slammed open. A black-haired woman came running through, seconds later. _

_“Hokage-sama!” Hokage?_

_“Yes, Izumi?” _

_“Our troops were unable to locate Lord Fourth, or his son. His apartment was empty when we arrived, almost as if someone tipped him off. Our best suspicions are he escaped with the help of Hatake Kakashi, who is also missing”_

_The information did not faze the Uchiha in the slightest. _

_“Send our best to track them down immediately, and keep an eye out for any ninken, or summon frogs. Make sure to remind the people you choose of how important this is”_

_“Understood, hokage-sama.” Izumi wasted no time on running back where she’d come from, letting the door slam shut behind her._

_His expression must have been priceless, because Itachi simply stared at him._

_“Senpai is an ANBU. It is his job to-”_

_“Except we both know it’s more than that, right Tenzō? We were both under his leadership for two years. Minato and his son mean everything to Kakashi. For them, there is nothing he wouldn’t do, including breaking his vow to Obito, and the organization.”_

_Tenzō had wanted to argue. To shout, protest, but the words caught on his throat. _

_How could he deny it, when his so-called best friend had just abandoned him and the rest of his- of their family to die? And they would die. _

_The senju and their descendants needed him for his powers, but that was no longer a factor when the Uchiha, with their powerful sharingan came into play. They could easily neutralize Naruto without his help. It made him expendable at best. _

_It was then Itachi gave him and everyone else in the room a choice. They could either pledge loyalty to the new government and align themselves with the Uchiha’s ideals, or be executed for treason. _

* * *

“Captain Kinoe?” One of his men called, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Yes, Sai?” He glanced at the younger man that had been his responsibility since the coup. The now teenager grew more skilled every day.

_“_Team Rō is ready to leave” Kinoe felt the soft spring breeze that blew softly through the gates against his skin. He closed his eyes.

Hatake Kakashi had put the ones he actually considered family first, and it just so happened that Tenzō was not one of them.

Kinoe shared his exact same opinion.

He reached for the top of his head, and pulled his mask down. 

“Understood. Let’s head out” At his command, Sai pulled out the large scroll he kept on his back, as well as a paintbrush, and begun sketching at an incredible pace.

Once the piece of parchment was entirely covered, he brought his fingers to his lips.

_Ninpō: Chōjū Giga_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some backstory for you guys. Enjoy!

“How is this even possible?” Was the first question that left Sakura’s mouth.

“You are Konoha’s most wanted criminal. Even after all this time. The Hokage has the entire country on high alert from you, and yet...” now that her arms had been freed, she gesticulated a lot, in sheer agitation.

It was a habit of hers. One that Obito sensei as well as all other teachers before had tried to get out of her, as it was a danger for shinobi to express emotions so openly.

At the moment, however, it really couldn’t be helped. 

“The country isn’t as loyal to Godaime as he believes. The over-militarization of Konoha may have pleased the feudal lord, but it also brought fear and pain to the population. Lots of civilians are against the new regimen” Minato explained.

For someone considered a traitor who’d tried to decimate an entire clan, he was being extremely patient with her. Whatever the case, Sakura could feel he was starting to get uneasy with her curiosity.

“I see” She replied, not wanting to push her luck, or set him off in some way. Her mind however, was still roaming free with the information.

_Was it true? _She supposed it was possible_. _As a genin, her missions had always been either inside the village, or on the surrounding forest, for obvious safety reasons.

On a few rare occasions, however, when the other genin teams were too busy, or Sasuke-kun’s demands would get through his brother, they’d be hired to escort people and merchandise back to villages or cities spread throughout the country.

She distinctively recalled a few doors and windows being shut whenever they approached, though Obito sensei always claimed not to have noticed when she asked. Could that be considered a form of protest? And if it was, _what_ were they protesting against, exactly? _Hokage-sama would always do his best to ensure the safety of the fire country. Couldn’t they see that?_

“So, now that he told you all that...” Hatake’s tone was filled with disapproval. Minato didn’t seem to mind it one bit.

“What’s it gonna be? Are you going to help Naruto?”

Instead of replying, Sakura pushed herself to her feet, and covered the distance to where her former classmate was lying. The unannounced movement was enough to disrupt the silver haired shinobi, who practically materialized across from her, on Naruto’s other side.

He didn’t say a word, nor did his collected expression change, but the warning was clear.

She had no intention of defying him.

* * *

_It was the first day at the academy, and Sakura was really excited. _

_Her entire family spent the entire month encouraging her, and cheering her on about it. Even her grandparents who lived far away came to visit! They brought her very special, (and later on she’d know, expensive) gifts._

_She would be the first out of all of them to become a leaf ninja, which was “REALLY special” according to grandma._

_The compliment was also filled with a dutiful tone, one- she remembered- was ingrained into her from a very early age, and resonated with her at the time, young as she still was. _

_She would work really hard, and not make any mistakes. _

_When the clock on the wall indicated it was finally time to go, her mother reached for the pocket of the red jacket papa bought her in his last business trip, and pulled out a beautiful red ribbon._

_“We can’t have all that hair falling over your eyes and getting in the way of your training, can we?” She said, as she tied it tightly around Sakura’s hair. _

_Once she was done, the little girl smiled._

_“Thank you, mom!”_

_“Have a good day, princess!”_

_Sakura practically ran to school. She felt like a true Ninja, even though she hadn’t even started learning yet. She didn’t even know what she would be learning in the first place! Maybe more of that practice with the blindfold, she was sometimes supposed to do? Anyway, mommy and daddy were really happy for her, and that made her happy too._

_And then..._

_“HAHAHA!” A boy from her class laughed really loudly, catching everyone’s attention and making them turn to see what was happening. _

_ “LOOK at the size of that forehead!” He teased. It wasn’t long before others joined in._

_“Wooow. It’s so big!”_

_“She’s going to need TWO forehead protectors to cover that!” The entire classroom broke into laughter, which echoed through the walls of the room, making it all even louder._

_Sakura took a small step back, shyly. It wasn’t the first time that happened, since her parents and her had moved to Konoha. The new kids she met weren’t always friendly, but there would always be an adult around to tell them to stop._

_This time however, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and there was no sign of any other adults around to help her. At the height of her 6 years of life, there was very little she could do, other than to run away crying._

_And so, she did._

_Sakura ran all the way outside, and hid behind a big bush, unable to keep the loud sobs from violently ripping through her tiny body any longer._

_Who cared about being a stupid ninja, anyway? She sure didn’t. She could work at her dad’s shop, and she was sure that both he and mommy would still be very happy with her._

_“Why are you crying?” She jerked her head up, completely surprised to see a boy next to her. _

_He was blonde, wearing blue shorts and an orange hoodie, but what really caught Sakura’s attention were his deep blue eyes, which were filled with curiosity._

_Once her brain got past the initial shock, and processed his question, her sadness, which had been temporarily forgotten, came back at full force._

_“I-I went t-to class a-and the b-boys started making fun of m-my fo-fore-head.” She choked the words out._

_The boy immediately averted his gaze upwards, making Sakura realize her mistake. Great! Now he was going to start making fun of her too!!_

_The tears welled up in her eyes once more, as she waited for his laughter._

_“What’s wrong with your forehead?” He asked, instead. Sakura wasn’t sure why, but she knew he wasn’t just teasing her. _

_He tilted his head confusedly, and it was then she realized she didn’t reply._

_“They said It’s too big”_

_ He shook his head, and shrugged._

_“Nah, I think it’s okay” Completely unbothered, he stood on his tiptoes so that he could see above the leaves of the plant, in the direction of the school doors._

_“Those boys are idiots. They’re always making fun of my cheeks too” he faced her again, and it was then she saw the scars, three on each side, that ran across his cheeks._

_He was different. Just like her._

_“They look like cat whiskers” she confessed. His eyes widened for a second, before he crossed his arms in front of his chest._

_“So what, huh? Are you gonna make fun of me too?” He asked, pouting._

_She quickly shook her head._

_“I think they’re cute.” Instantly, a blush went up his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head._

_“Heh, thank you, dattebayo” dattebayo?_

_“What’s your name?”_

_“Haruno Sakura” she replied. “And you?”_

_“Uzumaki Naruto”_

* * *

Now that same boy was lying at her feet. Weak, pale, and in need of her help, just as she had needed his all those years ago.

She gently placed her palm against his warm forehead, and focused her chakra.

Naruto wasn’t a criminal; he was only a child, just like her, when everything happened. She was sure Hokage-sama would understand. And if he didn’t, _well_, her family’s status would definitely save her.

Making use of the set of skills she’d learned from birth, Sakura swiftly accessed his organs, blood vessels, and even chakra lines.

It only took one look at the latest for her to find the issue.

“I know what’s wrong with him” Both Yondaime and Kakashi practically jumped to their feet.

“What is it?” They asked, in one voice.

“Chakra virus” And by the state of his lines, it had reached a critical state. Sakura felt her own heart hammer against her chest.

“How long has he been like this?” Both men side-eyed each other. In the end, the silver haired one opened his mouth.

“A month”

“A MONTH?” She shouted, unable to help it; Once infected, most people could only last a week without treatment, maybe two if she was being optimistic.

It was a miracle he was still alive.

“But if that’s the reason, why aren’t we sick too? It is infectious, right?” Kakashi protested. Whether he was trying to make sense of what little medical knowledge he had, or simply unconvinced, Sakura couldn’t tell.

“Because chakra virus is one of Konoha’s mandatory vaccines once you reach 9 years old” She did not need to finish that sentence for realization to sink in.

They left the village before Naruto was old enough to... _By_ _Rikudou. I am so sorry, Kushina. _Minato squeezed his eyes shut.

“Can you help him?” He whispered, opening his eyelids so he could stare at her with Naruto’s eyes.

Sakura moved her hands to his chest, where the most damaged lines were.

_Could she? He was so weak_. But she owed it to him to try.

“I will do my best” was her answer.

As soon as the familiar shade of green coated her hands, her old classmate flinched beneath her.

Sakura intensified the chakra flow in response.

* * *

It was the early hours of morning by the time consciousness crept onto Naruto.

He felt completely spent, as if he’d been run over by an entire army, which just couldn’t be true, considering the number of enemies he saw Kakashi was facing the day before.

_Kakashi._

The last thing he remembered was trailing behind his nii-san and the pack, and then... _nothing_.

_That was when I blacked out_, he guessed.

But he had somehow made it back to the hideout, if the unmistakable water drip was any indication. Had Kakashi carried him home?

That calm and tiredness was quickly replaced by a rush of fear.

He blacked out. As if it wasn’t enough, he’d blacked out in the middle of tree hopping. 

It was supposedly a deadly drop, yet he was just fine. It would be no problem at all, if it weren’t for the one thing that happened when he was too weak and in danger.

_Kyuubi_. 

_If it had hurt his nii-san..._

**“WHAT ABOUT IT, BRAT?” **The demon stirred inside him.

**“WHAT WILL YOU DO IF I HAVE?” **It continued, on a familiar mocking tone. It spoke to him like that when it wanted him to be angry, to give up control.

There was no way he would take the bait.

_I don’t remember asking you anything. Go back to sleep. _He thought back. The demon growled in response, no longer enjoying itself, but fortunately, it did grow quiet.

Now feeling pleased with himself, Naruto’s eyes creaked open.

Surely enough, he was at their hideout. He was also inside a sleeping bag with so many improvised blankets he couldn’t even move.

_Okay_. This was definitely _not _Kyuubi’s doing. (Whenever it possessed him, it certainly wasn’t gentle with his body), and he was going to _kill_ Kakashi himself, the second he managed to break free, if he didn’t melt before that.

Naruto kicked out at the same time as he tried to stretch his arms, in an attempt to force his way to freedom. The movement did nothing but make him feel impossibly warmer, and sweat started dripping from his forehead.

“Hey hey, calm down” _Speaking of the devil_, the masked Shinobi was now magically standing in front of him.

Kakashi crouched, in an effort to get better access to the situation, and try to keep the boy still enough to free him.

“WHYDIDYOUTRAPMEINSIDEASLEEPINGBAG” Naruto’s dry throat turned his high-pitched screams into a strangled growl, and then into a coughing fit.

Kakashi used that momentary stillness to pull the zipper down.

“Maaaa. Someone is feeling better” he said, a sarcastic smile reflected on his eye.

Now free from the bag, and the countless blankets, Naruto slid as far away as he could from it, and leaned against one of the cave walls, grumbling.

His pout went away the second a bamboo water bottle was waved in front of his eyes.

“It would seem so” Minato spoke, unable to mask his relief. It was then his son realized he was there.

“Dad! What are you doing here?!” The boy practically flung to his feet, carelessly tossing the now empty bottle to the side.

“Oi, I just made this!”

Kakashi’s complains fell on deaf ears as the boy dashed forward, until his body connected with his father’s. Minato chucked.

“I was on my way to meet a friend, but decided to stop by and check up on you”

“So, you’re leaving soon?” His father confirmed.

Shortly, the everlasting happiness in Naruto’s eyes was replaced by crippling disappointment.

That sight always made the left side of Minato’s chest ache. Mercifully, (_or sadly, which would be more logical_), Naruto had gotten better at hiding it as he got older. As such, the expression only lasted for a short moment.

“Yeah. Today, if you’re feeling as well as you look...” Naruto took a second to ponder about that. _Dad was right_. He did feel a lot better than he had in a very long time.

Now that he thought about it, it had also been a while since kyuubi last spoke to him mentally like it did earlier. Whatever happened to him, it had been healing to both of them.

“About that. What did you- “

“I’m afraid that’s not on me” the man moved slightly, gesturing with his left arm to something behind him. 

_That’s right! _Kakashi nii-san had someone on his back when he found him. Naruto followed his father’s hand until his eyes caught a glimpse of pink hair.

“She was awake healing you all night” Minato continued. “She wasn’t sure you’d make it, but it seems her efforts paid off. It’s a shame she isn’t awake to see it, though”

His breath caught on his throat.

_Sakura. _

Butterflies danced on Naruto’s stomach, getting imbibed by everlasting darkness.

* * *

“This is outrageous! A complete _scandal_!” Miss Haruno highlighted, for what was probably the 100th time that afternoon. Her husband, who seemed to be used to her high-pitched squeals, had taken quite the coloring to his cheeks once Itachi revealed what had actually happened to their beloved daughter.

“Please calm down, my love” Mr. Haruno squeezed his wife’s right hand against his, while she used the other one to wave a colorful hand fan.

She offered a simple “humpf” in response.

“My deepest apologies” Itachi offered, with as much sincerity as he could muster. “I have dispatched my best men after her”

“You better!” Mrs. Haruno’s voice echoed again. It took all of Itachi’s ANBU training not to flinch. “Sending our precious baby girl on such a dangerous mission without any sort of protection. Honestly, how incompetent are you?” Her voice failed, and she broke into tears for the 15th time.

This time however, her husband leaned forward against his desk.

“You better find her” Mr. Haruno’s dangerous tone contrasted with everything he had shown so far, so much so his wife stopped her tearless crying with a gasp.

“If you want the support of our clan, you better find her. _Ally_”

That was exactly what Itachi had been afraid of, though he already expected it to happen regardless.

“As I mentioned, I have sent the best of my ANBU to find her.” _A few of which had been trained by her kidnapper in the first place. _But the Haruno did not need to know that.

“They have plenty of experience with this sort of criminal” He said, instead. That information seemed to resonate with Mrs. Haruno.

“Oh? And what sort of criminal is that?” Itachi hesitated.

“One of our own who went rogue a few years a- “

“A NUKENIN? MY DAUGHTER WAS TAKEN BY A NUKENIN?!” Mr. Haruno slammed both his hands on the desk, and loomed threateningly over the fifth Hokage.

From somewhere beyond his sight, the hokage sensed the moment his personal guard made their chakra visible, but he did not engage them.

Instead, the Uchiha activated his sharingan.

“I suggest you calm down, Haruno-sama”

As if breaking free from a trance, Mr. Haruno obediently backed off. The chair creaked as he sat back on it.

“As I was saying, said nukenin was one of our own. What it means, is my soldiers have all the information available on him. I assure you:_ he_ _will_ be found”

Resigned to his lack of physical strength, the man limited himself to glaring at the Uchiha.

“For your sake and the sake of this village, I hope you’re right” He got up for the final time, and stormed out of the room. His wife quickly followed.

Now completely alone, Itachi tiredly rubbed his eyes, allowing them to return to their natural black. With that information revealed, police reports of friction between both clans would no doubt become common.

It was also very clear that whether they found her or not, Sasuke would need to find a new wife. He doubted his parents would be able to convince Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, though they would try.

In the end, his little brother got what he wanted.

Most importantly, though, the clear sign of weakness from the village this situation going public will show, will also work as a beacon to all others, who otherwise would be far too scared to confront them head on. He sighed.

_Being the Hokage was certainly a handful._

Lord fifth stared at the door. As annoying and awkward as that whole meeting had been, he supposed he couldn’t blame the couple;

Had Sasuke fallen onto Kakashi’s hands, he would be on a very similar state, if not worse. There simply would be no safe place on the planet for the copy ninja.

Maybe that knowledge was the exact reason his brother had been spared.

* * *

Traveling to the wreckage of the failed transport mission was a lot easier than usual, since they knew exactly where to go.

Uchiha Sasuke was a very observant, disciplined young man, much like his brother had been at his age. The report he provided was jounin level worthy, though he supposed Obito´s involvement had something to do with it.

“Captain, my bugs have already secured the area. They say it’s clear.” Aburame Yuzuya informed him. The single bug that had been standing near his ear was shortly joined by a cloud of them, all of which disappeared inside the ANBU’s vest.

“My drawings say the same” Added Sai, with a single shadowy rat at his feet.

_Good._

According to the mission report, the nukenin was waiting for Uchiha Sasuke the second he arrivedon scene. He’d been on the ground, rather than a tree, and held Haruno Sakura over his shoulder. Then, when Sasuke-sama found the courage to attack him, the jinchuuriki had dropped from a nearby tree, and countered his attack.

Kinoe recognized that strategy as an old ANBU formation, and one his former captain had always favored, as it gave both the enemy the illusion that they had everything under control, _and_ the exposed team some level of backup, if necessary.

_Kakashi was always through_. For that reason, despite the intel they had received, being extra careful was a must. But fortunately, luck seemed to be with them.

“Understood. Team Rō, scatter. But either way, remain alert”

“Yes sir!”

* * *

The smell of rotten meat was not strange to him, nor that of blood. Being an ANBU meant doing the missions that others did not want to, and, more often than not, it meant he would run into either one of those things. Usually, both.

This time, due to the fact the attack had happened over a week ago, there wasn’t much left of the corpses to recognize. All of them, however, shared a single significantly sized hole on what undoubtedly had once been their chest area. More specifically, over their hearts.

“It’s really him.” Yūgao whispered, as she covered the distance between them.

Kinoe shifted on his feet.

“Yes”

“I never thought we’d have to go after Kakashi senpa-“

“_He_ is a _nukenin_” He hissed, stopping her before she could go any further, which he regretted instantly.

The porcelain mask prevented him from seeing any kind of reaction on her part, and Yūgao did not reply. Rather, she simply begun walking away. He thought about apologizing, but by the time he could form words, she was already too far off.

_Dammit_.

He’d have to deal with that later. For now, he decided to follow her lead, and slip back into the job he was there to do.

The remains, though all messily scattered in their attempt to escape death, were progressively closer to the south border of the clearing. Shuriken laid everywhere, creating a makeshift battle arena around the wood pile that had once been the carriage, and the bodies.

Kinoe limited his focus to a single kunai. It had buried itself somewhat on the ground, as they usually did when thrown with certain force. This one however, was severely off the actual battle area, and laid on the northeast side.

That was no doubt Sasuke-sama's weapon, which had been sent off track by the jinchuuriki, in an effort to protect Kakashi. Now, with that trajectory angle-

“Captain” Fuusei, who seemed to have followed his line of thought, was standing to the north end, looking at the Bamboo stems that isolated that corner.

“What is it?” asked Kinoe, as he approached the other. 

His subordinate simply pointed up, to a single broken stem.

Considering the battle that took place, most shinobi would quickly discard it as nothing more than a decoy, (_and a badly made one at that_). Or even just collateral damage that was bound to happen whenever several shinobi struck at each other in a life or death match.

They were ANBU though.

And it just so happened to be that if something had been thrown, or come specifically from that direction, and intercepted Sasuke’s attack, it would fit the kunai’s trajectory perfectly. 

Kinoe smiled_._

Hatake Kakashi always had flawless ninja skills, even from an early age. Unfortunately for him, the same could not be said aboutUzumaki Naruto.

“Well done, bird.” The other bowed his head in acknowledgement. The captain turned to face the rest of his team.

“We have a lead. Let’s go”

Glad for finally being able to move away from the headache inducing smell, they eagerly obliged.


	6. Chapter 6

As it unsurprisingly turned out, the trail ran cold very shortly.

Despite Uzumaki’s abundant chakra sources, a courtesy from his demonic counterpart, Aburame’s bugs were unable to find any valuable amount of chakra remains.

_You win this round, Kakashi. _

Out of habit, the captain ordered Sai to summon his paint bird, and begin doing aerial search. Perhaps he would find abandoned improvised camps, or at the very least any sign of human interference in the nature.

Kinoe however was skeptical.

There was a reason Hatake Kakashi had survived 10 years in the ANBU, and many more as a nukenin, and he surely wouldn’t begin to be careless now.

Nevertheless, they kept moving forward. If anything, the lack of evidence since that small misstep only proved they were on the right path.

He'd barely finished that trail of thought when, as if by some sort of prank from above, the lack of evidence became overwhelming evidence.

Scratches, broken branches, even dropped kunai paved the way practically anywhere they looked. On top of that, Kinoe could sense the faint chakra emanating from all over.

He had never been on this side of Kakashi’s tricks, but now he had to admit they were quite impressive. If he was a sensory type ninja, he would definitely be losing it right now.

It was the perfect way to eliminate any tracker that was unfortunate enough to have been assigned to such a mission.

“What now?” Aburame asked, on a much more patient tone than he was definitely in. 

“This was done by his ninken” The captain informed. A great escape trick they had used one too many times, and it had kept them safe all of these years.

He still remembered the instructions very clearly. The dogs were to cover all sides with evidence, _except_...

From the tree he was standing on, Kinoe scanned the area. There was no doubt an overwhelming number of tracks scattered everywhere.

Everywhere, _except_ for a very narrow corridor northwest. Imperceptible by regular ninja, and certainly by any sensorial types after being so overwhelmed.

“There” he said, already beginning to move. As veteran team Rō members, Yūgao and Fuusei also caught on immediately. Sai and Yuzuya simply followed.

_That’s a point for me. We’re tied now._

The shinobi could not wait to see who would win the next, and probably final round.

* * *

_From that day onwards, Naruto and Sakura became inseparable. She would wait for him outside every morning, and they would walk together to the classroom, avoiding all mean-spirited glances from their classmates. _

_They would sit next to each other in class every day, and practice their jutsu together. Naruto was not really good at them, but Sakura would help him practice, and they would get very good grades. In exchange, Naruto helped her with history, and all the boring extra homework her parents would keep her busy with._

_ Whenever she could sneak away from the private teacher her dad hired to teach her stuff after class, Naruto would also take her to explore the village. _

_Sakura had no idea having a friend was so much fun! And she was sure Naruto too loved to be around her. _

_“You know, my dad is always working” He said, carefully sticking some ramen noodles in his mouth. “We don’t get to see each other a lot” _

_“That’s because he’s the hokage” She told him, also tasting the delicious pasta. "_ _Mommy said the hokage has to be there for everyone in the village” _

_ “I guess so, dattebayo…” Naruto's gaze grew distant. _

_Sakura was about to apologize, when he looked at her again. He was smiling. _

_“Well… at least I have you, right?”_

_The girl was caught by surprise, but nodded excitedly in agreement._

_“Yes! For sure!” _

_xx_

When Sakura woke up that afternoon, what little belongings the trio of renegades had were already stored away in two simple, worn out backpacks, and piled up neatly by the left side wall.

_All_ but the sleeping bag that had been lent to her. Sakura lazily stretched her arms, covering her mouth when a yawn came out.

“Ah, Sakura. You’re up” Kakashi greeted her, in his ever present slightly-friendly-slightly-bored tone.

He was sitting immediately outside the cave’s opening, in front of what seemed to be a fire pit. It was hard to tell, by the position he was sitting in, but it seemed he was holding something in his left hand.

“I guess so”

“Well, you’re just in time for lunch” He picked up a freshly made spear, that had previously been out of sight for her; A half-cooked fish was impaled in it, also seeming to be freshly caught.

He pointed it her way. Even from that distance, she could tell it smelled delicious.

Seeing him like that, lazily sitting against the cave wall, as he prepared a meal for the three of them, made the dangerous nukenin that she had been so thoroughly warned about, and then attacked by a couple days earlier seem almost unbelievable.

If anything, he looked almost... _friendly_.

It was a nice improvement from when she’d been taken. Nevertheless, Yondaime (_until he left, sometime while she was still asleep_) had been nothing but kind to her, from the moment she arrived.

She thought that would stop as soon as Naruto was healed, which had happened fairly quickly after that first night. Yet, so far, nothing changed. And now that she had apparently proven herself, the other shinobi seemed to begin trusting her.

_Well, _at least to like her enough to make her food for three days in a roll.

Sakura got to her feet, and untangled her now messy hair the best way she could using only her fingers. Once she was happy with the results, she approached the older man, squinting her eyes at the sunlight.

Now outside, she could see there were three spears over the fire, all at once. Somehow, it seemed the fish that hung from them were all evenly cooked. Sakura sat down in front of the somewhat small fire, on a log that had obviously been placed there, and yawned.

“I hope you like fish.” Sakura was not sure if he was being sarcastic or not, but she chose to believe the latter.

He adjusted the sticks once more, before relaxing back against the stone wall.

“Naruto caught them this morning”

_Naruto_. Sakura had been so horrified at the idea of losing her former best friend seconds after getting him back, that she'd burned her chakra away entirely to heal him. It worked, but she’d slept for 36 hours nonstop. It meant she was asleep by the time he woke up, and by that point it was just her and Kakashi in the cave.

Apparently, Minato decided to borrow his son for a day before leaving. (Kakashi told her it was something he always did, as a way to say goodbye). She guessed his absence was frequent._ Some things never changed at all._

Regardless, the fact he apparently spent the morning fishing meant her healing had worked, at least. It was something she was really glad for.

“How kind of him” she murmured.

_Did he leave with his father?_ The thought was far more upsetting than she thought would be. She really hoped not. Sakura wanted to meet him. At the very least, see with her own eyes if he was okay. They were apart for so long, and there was a lot she wanted to ask.

Sakura stopped herself.

_What was she even thinking?_ _Yes_, they had been childhood friends, but that was a lifetime ago. He was a wanted nukenin now, and she... _the heir to one of the most important clans of the leaf_. Odds were he would not want anything to do with her, and she couldn’t blame him.

“You know him, don’t you?” Sakura met Kakashi’s uncovered eye. For the first time since Naruto’s sickness, she got the feeling he was being serious.

For whatever reason, it made her anxious.

“I d-did? We were really young” She smiled awkwardly, but regretted it instantly, as her reaction apparently only made him even more interested.

Mercifully, that interest was only there for a second, before he casually looked back to the food.

“Eh, you won’t have to put up with us much longer anyway.”

Sakura lifted her brows.

“What do you mean?”

“There is a village up north, which lots of Konoha Shinobi use as a base to patrol the borders with Grass. We’ll drop you off before we move on, and they will take you home.”

She couldn’t believe it. They would actually let her go, just like that.

_And they would never see each other again._

_Why did she care, anyway? _Kakashi was right. It wasn’t as if she was going to be around them, around _Naruto_ forever in the first place.

She was kidnapped for a very specific reason, and whether Lord fourth and Kakashi chose to exchange her for a ransom from the leaf, or simply let her go, as they apparently would, Sakura would eventually find herself home.

Back to her parents, her friends and- her _fiancée_.

This whole situation was never meant to be anything, if not temporary. Some mysterious adventure she would one day tell her children about on a Sunday afternoon. That was what it was always meant to be. I mean, what did she think would happen? _That she would meet her long-lost childhood best friend, and everything would be okay once more?_ It was silly. She really had no reason to be so emotionally invested in this.

“Maaa, Naruto. How nice of you to join us” Kakashi’s greeting pulled Sakura from her thoughts, and she turned her head to where the new arrival was.

He had clearly spent a very long time outside, as sunburns covered his cheeks, highlighting his scars.

His entire appearance had improved significantly from when she'd last seen him, which was definitely a good thing. He also looked a lot cleaner. _Was_ cleaner, if his wet hair was any indication.

Sakura’s breath caught on her throat. She could practically picture his bright voice. _"Good morning, Sakura-chan!"_

Naruto remained silent as he sat across from Kakashi, and by default next to her.

“Are they ready?” He asked, gaze locked on the older man. Kakashi shrugged.

“Yeah. Knock yourself out” He had no problem following those instructions.

_It was as if she wasn't there at all. _

_He did not care at all._

Did he even remember who she was? They _were_ really young… And Naruto had definitely gone through a lot in the years after he left. Being a nukenin implied being hunted down, and he was the son of the former hokage on top of that, which definitely made matters worse. It would make sense that, in the end, their friendship slipped out of his mind completely. 

Sakura sat there silently, staring at her own feet until her stomach’s growl was impossible to ignore, heartbreak or otherwise.

The fish was in fact as delicious as it smelled, and would definitely leave her wanting more the second she finished. The food definitely cheered her up slightly, which she was really thankful for.

The situation did not hurt any less, though.

“Well. While you two enjoy lunch, I’m going to finish some last-minute preparations before we can head out”

“WHAT?” The desperation was clear in both teenagers’ voices.

“Can’t you do that after lunch? I’ll help you” Naruto offered, sounding as kind as she'd remembered him to. Except it was forced. 

"Hatake-san" Sakura intervened. "You've cooked for me, and treated me kindly all this time. The least I could do is help you with this-"

“Nope. I’ve already waited _two_ days longer than I should have. Your bodies will demand the energy from that fish for us to be on our way, which will happen the second I get back. _Be ready_” That last part had been specifically aimed at Naruto, leaving no space for argument.

The boy huffed. 

“Whatever”

The corners of Kakashi’s eyes crinkled at the reaction.

“Hatake-san?” Sakura called, shyly.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For everything”

“No worries” He shrugged. "I will be right back" 

The nukenin brought his hand up, waving goodbye before he vanished, leaving only her, Naruto and the dreaded silence.

Sakura resumed eating the meat until there was nothing but the stick, which also earned a few bite marks in her anxiety. Her mom would have plenty to say about that, had she been around.

She allowed herself to glance over at Naruto, who had also finished eating. Unlike her, though, it seemed he was completely relaxed.

The blonde just sat there, staring at the fire, as if lost in thought. The realization turned her anxiety into anger.

“I understand if you don’t want to speak to me, but you could at least thank me for saving your life.” The harshness in her words seemed to take him by surprise, even if just briefly.

He tilted his head in acknowledgement.

“That’s fair. Thank you” _Huh?_

It took her a moment to process that he had actually spoken to her.

“Why?” He looked puzzled.

“Why what?”

“Why now? You seemed to have no problem avoiding me earlier.” Embarrassment seemed to catch up to him then, and he broke eye contact.

“Sorry about that. I’m just not really used to new people” 

_New_.

It was true then_. He didn’t remember._

“That’s okay.” She replied, hopefully in a convincing manner. “I can’t blame you. Not with the life you have.”

He snorted.

“Yeah, I guess. Being with Kakashi-sensei is great, but sometimes I wish I had someone my age to talk to.”

“You mean a friend?” He simply stared at her, until his blue irises grew clouded.

“Yes. A friend” Curiosity took over Sakura, but she wasn’t sure if it was her place to ask.

Without anything to add, silence fell between them again. Except this time, Sakura had more information to think about. 

And the longer she did, the more her curiosity turned to bitterness.

He did not remember her, but it was clear he had someone else he was fond of. Eventually, it was too much not to ask.

“Who were you- “

“Alright! We’re all set!” Kakashi’s voice echoed through the cave behind them.

He was standing on the exact same spot he’d disappeared on, casually holding two water bottles.

A third one sat inside a side pocket of his backpack, which was in turn clearly fighting for space with the sword that also hung there.

That lay out just _had_ to be uncomfortable. But if it was, he did not show it.

“Already?” She asked, in total disbelief.

“Well, I just went to grab us all some water. In fact, here.” He leaned closer to her, so that she could take the bottle. It was completely full, and somewhat cool at the touch.

“And the other one for you” He said, flinging it in Naruto's direction.

Naruto caught it effortlessly, and placed it on the backpack which he'd apparently grabbed while Sakura wasn't looking. 

“Are you ready?” Kakashi asked, clearly thinking about his recovery. 

“Sure, dattebayo.” Naruto replied, as brightly as before, only this time Sakura felt he actually meant it. Unlike Kakashi, the backpack was the only thing on his back, covering that red cloud cloak, which she was still curious about.

Sakura herself was of course empty handed, safe from the few supplies that still remained on her pouches, and the bottle in her hand.

Self-conscious, she walked over to the third backpack and took it, surprised at how little it weighted.

“Yeah. We are”

The trio took one last look to the interior of the cave, all of them caught up in their own thoughts. It was the jounin who broke the silence.

“Then let’s go”

* * *

In retrospect, Kakashi should have told them the truth.

Maybe if he had, things would have gone slightly differently, and the entire situation would have been avoided. Instead, he chose to be confident.

Confident in his skills, confident that he had timed things properly. And in that case, the kids really did not need to know anything was out of the ordinary. Instead, they could just bore themselves with the whole teenage angst drama that he was glad wasn’t aimed at him for once.

What he’d chosen not to mention was that he left to speak to one of his ninken, who reported seeing a five-man ANBU squadron headed their way, and they were considerably close.

Sure, he was bit sore from sleeping on solid stone for the past couple nights, (_aka nothing at all)_ but Naruto was back to his regular self, and Sakura was pretty fast herself, if the speed with which she’d sprung his trap before any of her teammates was any indication.

Besides, he’d sent the dogs to plant a few more fake leads, which should be at the very least a little bit helpful, and buy them a few minutes.

It would all turn out okay. He was sure of it.

As far as the plan went, it was still what he told Sakura. Dropping her off at the village, then crossing the border with grass and disappearing indefinitely.

He expected giving the girl back (_unharmed_) would put a stop to the manhunt. Or at the very least, that it would thin out as time passed, and more important matters demanded Konoha's attention.

_First things first, though_.

He dodged a tree that had grown oddly in between two others, and resumed his pace, taking a look back to make sure Sakura and Naruto had successfully done the same. At this rate, they would be able to drop her off in a little less than two ho-

The kunai flung past him at full force, inches away from his face, making a small tear on his mask, and lodged itself on the nearest tree trunk. 

“GET DOWN-” was all he had time to say, before the world went up in flames around them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to be nice and give you guys a happy black friday (saturday). See you next week!

Being an ANBU was a work of art, some would say.

Not like those paintings you’d see on walls of big museums, or the statues that you’d see while traveling, which offered both luck and protection. No. It was more like abstract art. Filled with sensations, smells, and an overwhelming amount of pain, that very feel selected artists were able to express, and even fewer could understand.

Above all though, being an ANBU was unforgettable.

Kakashi was on his feet seconds after hitting the ground, his hand muscles clenched around a kunai, and a now uncovered sharingan surveying the area.

“Kakashi-san!” Sakura called, waving her arm as both she and Naruto approached him.

His warning had been barely enough for them to dodge, and remain completely unharmed.

“Are you okay? We- “A single stretched out arm was all it took for Naruto to stand still, and shut up.

“Stay behind me. We need to find an opening and make a break for it. Got it?” He said, without turning around to check for an answer.

“Okay”

The smoke from the explosion was beginning to clear. Kakashi could not see any enemies under those circumstances, which was exactly the point. Still, they were not attacked.

The only difference between then, and a time before the explosion, was the fact the entire environment had fallen under the most complete silence.

_Too quiet._

Chaos was a very common ambush tactic form, which meant...

_CRASH _

His blade connected with another, causing sparks to fly in every direction. Now that the surprise element had failed, the other shinobi instinctively dropped their weapon, and attempted to retreat with a backflip, barely avoiding a backhanded strike of Kakashi’s.

Kakashi was unsurprisingly unable to sense the woman’s chakra signature. Still, he’d know that mask and purple hair anywhere.

_Yūgao._

He barely had time to process the information when second person struck, this time from above.

“_Sensei_!”

Naruto’s fearful scream was enough warning for Kakashi to duck and roll on the grass, preventing his head from being split in half. He felt the ground vibrate beneath him as the ANBU landed, already turning for a second strike.

It did not go very far, as the nukenin managed to land a kick on their stomach.

The blow sent them flying backwards, but not before an overwhelming number of bugs could crawl their way up his leg. There was no doubt about it. That person was clearly part of the Aburame clan.

_Yuzuya. _

Sure enough, he could already feel the insects sucking away at his chakra. Kakashi allowed his leg to touch the ground, and focused enough chakra to send an electric current through his entire body.

The discharge effectively killed all the insects in one go. However, the distraction gave the other man more than enough time to escape.

Under normal circumstances, he’d mourn the opportunity loss. As it was, it was all he could do to prevent himself from spiraling emotionally.

He’d yet to see other squad members, but at this point, there was no denying it:

_Itachi sent his own team after him. _

Now, after two deadly strikes gone wrong, it was very likely they would regroup to think of another strategy. Inhaling deeply, but still extremely aware of his surroundings, Kakashi finally allowed himself to glance back at where he had left the teens.

As he thought, they had neither moved from that spot, nor been targeted. He was the most skilled enemy in the party, and as such, was to be neutralized first.

Whichever was the case, Naruto and Sakura looked completely horrified.

Being chased after was nothing new to Naruto, but certainly never by any highly skilled ninja such as this, and never with so many close calls. Kakashi was sure Sakura had never been chased after _at all_, which meant he was effectively alone in protecting himself and two chunin level children against a five-man ANBU squadron.

They needed to get out of here. _Now._

“I see you’re still cunning as always, _senpai”_

Kakashi was unable to hold back the gasp.

The smoke from the explosion had completely cleared by that point, revealing five ANBU spread out on the trees in front of them.

Yugao and Yuzuya, who had just struck stood to the left, and two of which were unknown to him stood to the right.

Among those on the right, one of them caught his attention; It was a boy, who looked to be about Naruto’s age, and was wearing what he recognized as a copy of his former mask.

A fifth Shinobi kneeled in the center, branding himself as leader of the squadron, and a porcelain cat mask covered his face.

“Kinoe” The word felt weird on his tongue after all this time, and certainly more so now that it was being said to an enemy rather than a close friend. “I see Itachi-kun gave you a promotion.”

“Indeed. Hokage-sama wanted someone trustworthy to manage his troops, after that little “_incident_”.

The poison in which the last word was said would have burned through Kakashi’s skin if it could. Regardless, the nukenin did not have the luxury to behave accordingly to his emotions.

“Is that so?” He played along, maintaining his voice with the usual unbothered tone. “Well, I’m sure Daichi is enjoying an amazing retirement then”

Kinoe’s head shifted almost imperceptibly, as if he was somehow more alert to the conversation. His tone, however, remained neutral. _Okay_. Keeping him distracted would definitely buy some time to think a way out of this.

He hoped Naruto and Sakura would catch on to what he was doing.

“Daichi... had faith in our former leader, and his ways. And for that, he never trusted the new regimen fully. You could say that came with a price” Tenzō’s voice wandered, and Kakashi allowed his own hand to slowly rest against his left hip.

“Maaa, what can I say? You have never been very good with words, _Tenzō_.”The environment changed instantly. It was as if a switch had been flipped on the cat masked man, who now exposed his threatening chakra.

“Do not. Call me. _That_.” He and his team remained motionless, but the emotion in his voice was a clear warning that that would change.

Kakashi allowed a few of his fingers to slide inside his pouch.

“Now, now. Let’s not get too hasty. We’re among friends, right?” He said, taking a step back, and then another.

“I mean, the Haruno girl you guys were looking for is now within your reach, completely unharmed.” He gestured with his head, not daring to break the eye contact fully.

All of the masks turned slightly in response.

He took the opportunity to move even closer to the teens.

“What do you say you guys take her back to your Hokage, and let me and my friend go on our way?”

“Sakura-sama will be brought back to Itachi-sama” Tenzō confirmed. “But so will the both of you”

“Eh, how do I tell you this?” Kakashi chuckled, awkwardly scratching the back of his head with his right arm as he took a yet another step back.

This time, the ANBU also shifted their position.

He adjusted his forehead protector.

“That’s just not going to happen” The altered gas bomb went from his fingers to the air, and then bulls-eyed into a nearby tree trunk, covering everything in an even deeper coat of smoke than before.

“Naruto, _now_!” He ordered, turning around fully and racing the rest of his way towards both of the teens.

“Right!” Naruto closed his eyes, blindly reaching out within himself, until his hands connected with a burning orange chakra.

Kyuubi’s chakra flared up behind his pupils, making his iris shift into a blood-red glowing tone, which allowed him to see through the thick smoke.

Kakashi threw a couple more bombs as he ran past them, maintaining the visibility at a minimum.

“Naruto!” Sakura cried out, coughing a couple times against the smoke that completely blinded her.

Instinctively, Naruto grabbed her hand, and tightened his grip.

“Don’t worry. I got you” The boy begun following the copy nin’s lead, and the trio darted through the forest.

* * *

The thick vegetation prevented the dissipation of the smoke. In fact, the density of it appeared to be building up by the second, as Kakashi undoubtedly threw even more bombs to the ground.

The strategy removed any visibility Kinoe’s squadron could possibly have. Under those circumstances, even though he had the advantage of wood style in the middle of a forest, it was impossible to aim it at anyone, effectively rendering his jutsu useless.

“What are your orders, captain?” Asked Fuusei, visibly tense.

“Don’t worry” Kinoe replied, reassuringly. “We have a technique for this kind of situation”

* * *

Seeing through smoke traps, and any sort of vision blockage had always been his specialty, both as leader of the team and the only team member with the sharingan (aka the only one who'd be able to have an impossible fast reaction to an enemy simply appearing out of nowhere).

Well-versed on running through nothingness, Kakashi swiftly led the way through the blank environment, the teens’ chakra signatures being the only confirmation they were keeping up.

As he expected, Naruto did not have it in him to leave the girl behind. _Teenagers._ He huffed.

Sadly, if he could sense their chakra, so could _them_. On top of that, he was running out of bombs. The distraction would definitely not be enough to stop his team, unless they could find a way to mask their presence. 

_If only they could reach the river before the smoke cleared..._

“AAAAAH!” Sakura’s screams made him lock both his feet on the soft earth.

_It was okay. _He reminded himself_. They wouldn’t kill her. _In fact, they would only take her home, which is what they had been sent there for. He only hoped Naruto could realize that, and continue making his way to him so they could escape.

“Help me! Please!”

_Nope. That would never happen. _

Cursing under his breath, Kakashi spun around.

* * *

Naruto ran blindly through the mist, his grip on Sakura’s hand being the one certainty he had, as he tried his best to keep up with Kakashi’s scent.

That skill was something he had been taught from a young age, but rarely had to lean on, once he learned about the demon fox inside him, and how to use it in his favor.

At the present moment, though, kyuubi was done playing nice, and his increased vision had faded, leaving him with only his own skills to fend for himself. _This would all be so much easier _if _they could just catch up to Kakashi!_

Naruto’s grip on Sakura’s hand tightened, and he picked up the pace-

“Not so fast, brat!” Suddenly, his arm was yanked backwards, as if something was holding it firmly in place. The force of the pull caused him to let go of Sakura’s hand.

“AAAAAH” She screamed, as Naruto tried did his best not to face plant on the forest ground. Once he regained control over his legs, Naruto turned around, to try and find what the problem was.

Sakura’s other arm was trapped in what seemed to be some sort of tree branch. She pulled at it, trashing wildly. In the background, he could hear footsteps quickly approaching. _There was no time to free her. _

“Help me! Please!”

Naruto felt all the color drain from his face.

He could run. Leave her there, and save himself. It wasn’t as if it mattered anyway. She was just a **random girl from that stupid village**\- _No_.

A bolt of lightning cracked next to him, and hit the thing that held Sakura captive, tearing it apart. As she had been pulling at it, the break made her fall forward, landing on her knees.

It was at that moment Naruto noticed a shadow standing behind her.

The word slowed down around him, as the man in a cat mask from earlier swung his arm towards her head.

Except it wasn’t an arm, but a full-fledged wooden spear.

* * *

“I got you now, jinchuuriki bra-“

“NO!!!!!!” The wave of chakra that hit him sent him flying backwards, until his back connected with a tree, expelling all the air from his lungs.

“Naruto!! There’s no time!! Let’s go!!” Kakashi’s voice waved through the mist, as the world spun around him. Though he could hear him from where he was laying, there was no other human being in sight.

That was, except for the pair of hateful red, glowing eyes that were locked on his.

Kinoe heaved then, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth before it splashed on grass next to him.

He gagged a couple times afterwards, and by the time he was able to look back in the direction of the eyes, they were already gone.

“Kinoe-taichou!” Sai yelled, from somewhere behind him. Seconds later, both he and Yūgao were standing above him.

“Are you okay?” She asked, helping him to his feet. The movement made his definitely cracked rib poke at his muscles and skin. 

“I’m fine. Go, we can’t let them escape” he forced the nausea and pain to the side, trying to sound convincing. At the very least, both his lungs appeared to be intact.

“Fuusei and Yuzuya went after them” She replied, calmly. “Don’t worry, _captain_” h_e _did not miss the mocking tone in which she said that.

“They can’t take _him_. You know that. And even if they could, they certainly can’t handle a jinchuuriki” Kinoe took a few tentative steps forward, certifying himself he could.

“Let’s go”

* * *

The three Shinobi kept moving forward at a slow pace, with Yugao and Sai supporting their captain’s weight. Eventually, the smoke cleared, and they came across a river.

Bird and penguin were waiting for them there, crouched by the water.

“Captain...” Fuusei started, and though Kinoe knew the exact words that would be leaving his mouth, he dreaded them.

“The targets have escaped”


	8. Chapter 8

Obito stood in front of the Hokage after a week-long probation.

“As you can see, my skills are not lacking, and if anything, they are improving” he said, proudly.

“Is that so?” Replied Itachi, as he held up the report presented by the jounin who’d been in charge of him.

The expression of absolute boredom in his cousin’s face was somehow even more satisfying.

_Serves him right._ One of the perks of training the Hokage’s brother was that, whenever said Kage did something he did not like, the complaints went straight to his father.

Obito was sure Fugaku was given an earful, which he obviously passed onto Itachi. The past week had been extremely annoying, not to mention completely unnecessary, but at least Obito was sure that had been the case for both of them.

“Yes. And as you can see, my leg does not interfere at all on my reflexes. I- “

All the hairs on the back of his head stood up at once. Instinctively, Obito turned his upper body, only to find five ANBU kneeling on the floor behind him.

“Uh” He involuntarily vocalized, awkwardly taking a step back. _Had Itachi called them to kick him out?_ No, he did not think so. His cousin seemed just as surprised as him by their presence.

ANBU never appeared like this, and certainly not when they weren’t called. Whatever it was they had to report, it was without a doubt really important. Taking advantage of the fact he wasn’t kicked out of the room yet, Obito took the chance to take a second glance at them.

Purple hair, brown hair, cat mask... he was shocked to realize he was familiar with a few of them, despite not really remembering their names; _Some of these ANBU were part of Kakashi’s team!_ It was a miracle they were still alive.

Wait.

_Kakashi’s_ ANBU team. Kakashi had taken Sakura. _Had Itachi send them after him? _

“Report” Itachi ordered, completely oblivious to his cousin’s presence.

“Hokage sama” the one in a cat mask, who was kneeling in front of all of them started, head tilted towards the floor.

Despite maintaining his position, the man was clearly using both of his arms to support his weight, as if his legs weren’t enough.

A wave of dread washed over Obito. If they were the ones after Sakura, it was very clear that the mission failed.

“Yes?” Itachi replied, leaning on his elbows as he stared at them. “I assume you did not interrupt a Hokage meeting just to provide room decoration” The impatience mixed with pure venom was impossible to mask. His cousin had obviously caught on to what happened, and was not pleased by it.

If ANBU were allowed to show emotion, the brown-haired man would have definitely cowered by now.

“I apologize, Hokage-sama. I will keep this as brief as possible” the man stammered out. “I’m afraid Team Rō... _we_ were unable to capture Hatake Kakashi and the jinchuuriki”

“And the girl?” Asked Itachi.

Obito’s heart skipped a beat.

“She is also gone. The jinchuuriki took her” 

The tension was palpable. It was well known by everyone the Hokage was really careful while assigning missions, as to maximize their chance of success. Needless to say, Itachi did not tolerate mistakes.

This time however, Obito agreed with his cousin.

“Taichou... do you have any idea who that girl is?”

“Yes, Hokage-Sama. Haruno Sakura, heir to the Haruno clan, and one of our most important allies”

“Precisely. The Haruno clan was vital for the revolution all those years ago.” The calm in the Hokage’s voice did not alleviate the tension in the slightest. If anything, it made things worse. “Do you know what will happen when they learn the best of the Hokage’s teams were unable to rescue her?”

Silence.

“We will lose all their financial and military support. Without that, the leaf village will be left weak and defenseless, ready to be destroyed by any other. All because you couldn’t save a simple teenager.” Itachi, who’s sharingan were now fully activated, shifted on the chair.

“What do you believe is an appropriate punishment for the ones responsible for that?”

“I- “

“Hokage sama” Obito intervened, mercifully saving the ANBU from whatever it was Itachi had in mind. “If I may” Despite receiving a momentary death stare, the reminder of his cousin’s presence made Itachi’s eyes return to their normal color.

He allowed his upper body to fall back against the chair.

“Yes, Obito?”

“I’m sorry for interrupting, but this past week was indeed one of reflection for me. Because of that, I was able to think extensively about what happened, and what I could have done differently.” whether his cousin was liking his words or not, he had no idea. It was too late to stop now.

“Please continue”

“As you know, Hatake Kakashi and I were childhood rivals. I know all of his weaknesses and strengths, and I’m sure his old team knows all his strategies. Considering all those massively important facts, I have come up with a plan” Itachi cast a single look at the pathetic team at his feet, before his eyes met Obito’s own.

“I’m listening”

* * *

Sakura was completely distraught.

She, the heir of the second most important clan in Konoha had almost been murdered by the Hokage’s very own ANBU black ops.

It was surreal, really. Did they believe she changed sides, and were now trying to eliminate her? Did her parents agree to this? She was almost afraid of the answer.

What horrified her the most, though, was how horribly they treated Kakashi and Naruto after their attempt to make a deal. Yes, they were two highly wanted nukenin, but this was a hostage situation!

If the duo was any less decent than what they’d shown her so far, she would be dead now, and most likely, so would several others.

She never thought Konoha’s shinobi would be so careless with the lives of their own. 

On top of that, there were also Naruto’s actions to consider.

Not only did he save her, putting his life on the line for someone he hardly knew, (_and someone who would, by all logical reasons, grow up to be his enemy_), but he had also promptly carried her all the way to the river, barely breaking sweat.

Two renegades had shown more concern for her safety, and finding a way to avoid conflict than her own village. Granted, it would be a five-vs-two battle, and avoiding conflict was also in _their _best interest, but still, the way the situation had unfolded was unimaginable to her.

The other thing she couldn’t wrap her head around, were Naruto’s his eyes.

When the cat masked man made an attempt on her life, the atmosphere around them changed. Taking advantage of being a Haruno, Sakura had redirected her chakra to all her senses, heightening them. When things shifted so deeply all at once, the amount of stimuli became overwhelming.

At first, she believed the sensation was the same as people experienced as they were about to die. That single moment where everything escalated into a panicked, incomprehensible turmoil, before it all calmed down for one final time.

But then, she saw _him_.

Intense. Brutal. Wicked. Merciless. The energy that irradiated from him was absolutely nothing like the bright smiled boy she had once known, and even his teenager self from a few minutes earlier. He flung the man away with such force she would be surprised if he was still breathing.

The chakra he released also blasted her at full force, making the wood thing that had been wrapped around her arm break into a thousand pieces, and simultaneously pushing her to the ground. Naruto was there to pick her up immediately.

The second he touched her, though, it was as if the sensation spread throughout all her limbs, rendering her paralyzed with fear.

She wanted to tell him to run, to be careful because something was coming, and it would kill them both in a horrible manner, but the words fell dead on her lips when she saw his eyes.

The usual intense blue was replaced by burning red. A hate filled, dark red. There was no mistaking it. The horrible chakra was coming from him.

“Naruto!! There’s no time!! Let’s go!!” Kakashi, who did not sound nearly as horrified at the sudden change on his companion, barked from somewhere ahead.

It made the blonde hesitate.

Survival instincts roared to life, and Sakura fought the impulse to kick him on the chin and run very far away, so that she would never have to sense that chakra again, or look into those horrid eyes.

If he’d noticed a change on her behavior, he did not show it. The nukenin remained silent, not sparing even a glance down at her, as he ran holding her on his arms.

He did, however, tighten his grip on her body as he picked up speed, causing his nails to scratch her tights in the process. Except they were far too big and sharp to be nails. No. They were almost like... _claws? _

The thick forest opened itself onto a clearing, revealing a river. Kakashi was impatiently standing there, clearly waiting for them to catch up.

“Get in the water and hold your breath for as long as you can. DONT swim.” he ordered. Naruto put her down then, and proceeded to follow the other shinobi’s instructions.

Sakura was never sure of what made her follow those same instructions at that moment, rather than ending this adventure and going home to her parents.

The kunoichi forced her shaky legs to carry her into the freezing cold water, realizing how deep the river actually was the further she went.

Sakura looked back to the empty riverside once, before inhaling deeply as she could, and diving in.

* * *

Deep breath.

Hold it.

Silently let the flow of the river carry your body, until oxygen became an extreme necessity.

Sakura wasn’t sure of how much time was spent with them doing nothing but repeating those basic actions. All she knew, is that by the time they came out of the water, the dark chakra that had once surrounded her was completely gone.

“This should be enough. They won’t be able to track our scent, or anything else through the water” Kakashi explained, his spiky silver hair now comically draped over the side of his head.

“Whew, that was a close one” Commented Naruto, as he dramatically threw his body onto the muddy ground, and stretched his arms out.

Sakura shifted on her feet, taking a better look at his irises. _Blue. _

She felt herself relax.

“Are you alright, Sakura?” Kakashi asked, while pulling his forehead protector over his left eye once more.

“Y-Yes.” She let out, shakily. “It’s just. They tried to- “

“Yeah! What was up with that?” Naruto questioned, sitting up. “Weren’t they supposed to protect her?” The anger in his voice was palpable, but for some reason, it was nowhere near what she’d felt before.

“He probably thought she was you” Kakashi’s tone was calm as ever as he pointed from Sakura to Naruto.

“The smoke bombs I used were modified to overthrow an enemy’s senses completely, and I used several of them. It means he was effectively blind”

That’s right. That’s why...

_“I got you now, brat!”_

“Oh” Was all that left her lips.

Naruto slouched.

“...so? What do we do now?” He asked, on a low tone. “It’s not like we can go back and drop her off”

There it was again. The reality shock that she was simply a temporary event in their lives. _A dangerous setback, even_. It was no shock that even after everything that had just happened, he still wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.

“You’re right about that. They will probably have leaf shinobi looking all across the river now. We can’t go back, and we can’t stay here much longer.”

“What do you want to do?” She asked, softly.

“First, we’re going to dry ourselves up. Then…” Kakashi sighed, and looked up at the late afternoon sky.

“I suppose it can’t be helped. I have a friend who might be able to help.”

“A friend?” Naruto tilted his head. “You have no friends”

“_This_ is why they don’t know you. Besides, we have been friends for a very long time. Back when I still lived in Konoha” Naruto still seemed confused, but Kakashi was not at all bothered by that.

“Don’t worry.” He said, actively ignoring the boy. “You’ll be home in no time” He smiled at her from beneath the mask, something she was surprised for bing able to pick up on.

The corners of her lips perked up.

“That would be great. Thank you.”

* * *

Sarutobi Asuma was a calm man.

That statement might be considered obvious by some. After all, the son of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage himself, ought to have a similar personality to his. And while they would certainly be right at present, it hadn’t always been that way.

_Being Sandaime’s son was an honor_. He remembered being told that multiple times throughout his life, by the countless caregivers he and his sister had as children.

_“You see, Asuma-sama.” They’d say, as he watched the rooftops of the village from his house’s balcony. “Every child in the village would do anything to be you” _

They just forgot to mention said honor came with an absent parent. Nevertheless, once his father retired, and whoever would succeed him took over, things would improve. At the very least, that’s what he believed in.

The days became months, and then years. Asuma matured into a fine young man, and skilled shinobi. Being the Hokage’s son meant enemies were a constant danger, and his father wasted no resources in making sure he had the best training available in the leaf.

After the third ninja war, his father finally stepped down, naming Namikaze Minato Hokage. Asuma could remember the peace that washed over him then, and how short lived it was.

The horrifying accident with Kyuubi, which left Yondaime’s son without a mother, and countless others injured, or dead left a permanent mark on the leaf’s history. As former hokage, his father understood it would be best for him to aid Minato for the time being, and once again his absence was felt in the Sarutobi household.

By that point, Asuma had also grown out of having expectations.

When the letter from the feudal lord came, there was no doubt in his mind as to the best path of action. He packed up overnight, and after sparing a kiss to his mother’s forehead, and a hug to his big sister, left without a trace.

“The twelve-guardian ninja” was what they called themselves. A special guard for the feudal lord, worthy of his trust, and expensive gifts Asuma’d never bothered with. As expected, he and the other shinobi involved forged unbreakable bonds over the course of the next two years.

_Shinobi should not wear their hearts on their sleeves_. Whether that was simply a saying, or an actual rule his sensei had forced him to memorize, he could not remember. But the truth to those words came to haunt him, as six of his newfound siblings turned against him.

Naturally, Asuma and the other five were summoned, and ordered to “end the threat”, and they did. A tragedy from which only he and Chiriku survived. After that, the guardians were understandably disbanded, and he mercifully went home.

He supposed that was when he began changing. Accepted the role of jounin and would go on the missions marked for him by yondaime without question. The arguments with his father stopped, which was very appreciated by his family.

Life was finally calm. _That was, until..._

_“Dad’s sending you off on a mission, isn’t he?” He asked, arms accusingly crossed in front of his chest._

_“Yes. S rank, possibly above. Me and Itsuki will head out in the morning” she replied, buckling up her vest’s strap. _

_“But you just gave birth! And your son doesn’t even have a name yet. Dad should never- “_

_“Asuma” His sister’s tiredness prevented him from going any further. It was the aftereffect of giving birth, he believed. Yet somehow, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling it was a bit more than that._

_“Sorry” he offered, scratching the back of his head. She smiled affectionately._

_“This mission, it has to be us. No one else has the necessary skills.” She explained, clearly as a peace offering. “Take care of my son for me, will you?”_

_“Of course”_

She never made it back from that. Neither did her husband. And shortly after, his father joined them, in a final effort to protect the village he loved so much.

The pain was almost unbearable. He felt himself slowly slip back into his old self, the one that wanted to desperately show Itachi just exactly what the Sarutobi were made of. He knew the Uchiha were waiting for that. Patiently watching for the slightest excuse that his clan was a threat, so they could put a complete end to the Hokage’s legacy.

He did not care.

Still, he did none of that. Because he made a promise.

And _that _he intended to honor. He took his nephew and ran, all the way to the only place with someone he could still trust.

To his credit, his friend had received him with open arms, and just like that the fire temple became his home.

A decade had passed since then, and despite not being a monk himself, through watching their teachings, the wounds had slowly closed, and he regained control.

That found peace was what he tried his best to teach his students. Rikkudou knew the ninja world needed more of that.

“Asuma sensei” As if on cue, one of said students silently approached him from behind.

“Shikamaru. It is a very beautiful day outside. Why don’t you come meditate with me for a bit?” Though his eyes remained closed, he could picture the disbelieved smile on the boy’s face.

“Actually, that will have to wait” The mental image he had did not reflect Shikamaru’s tone.

Asuma opened his eyes.

Surely enough, the laid back chunin was unusually troubled.

“What is it?”

“The Akatsuki is here to see you”


	9. Chapter 9

The temple looked the exact same way Kakashi remembered it to.

That was an impressive piece of information, considering he had only been there once, as a 14-year-old, in an A rank escort mission.

Due to protocols and proceedings as to how religious temples were to be handled at the time, he had to hide outside until the jounin he was protecting finished his business, and they could return to the leaf.

It was an irony that now, as a nukenin, all he had to do was simply stroll up the door.

“The fire temple?” Sakura’s excitement was barely containable as they went up the stairs. “Hokage-sama had some trouble with the monks a few years ago”

“Like what?” Asked Naruto, clearly just as amused as she was.

“Well, you see, they...” Kakashi watched distractedly as the two young shinobi exchanged stories. Apparently learning the truth about Naruto hadn’t been enough to push Sakura away, though she was understandably scared.

It was something he was really glad for. The boy’s excitement to have a friend his age was contagious, and the nukenin wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

It reminded Kakashi of the 6-year-old Minato sensei trusted him with, all those years ago.

He would never admit it out loud if anyone asked, but he missed that time.

They were about halfway through the staircase when he felt the chakra signature. Naruto sensed it too, and he turned his head imperceptibly to check in with Kakashi.

The older shinobi replied by shaking his head just as subtly.

The chakra belonged to a young person, and from the Nara clan, no doubt, by the way it was being projected forward on the ground. Deciding it would be on their best interest, he allowed the projection to tangle his feet, effectively trapping him.

Sakura, who had remained oblivious to the entire thing, gasped once her legs stopped working.

“Huh? What? Why can’t I- “

“My shadow paralysis jutsu.” A male voice called, from the top of the stairs.

The sun clouded their vision, making the teenager look like nothing more than a black blur. The position was perfect for someone with ninjutsu such as his.

_Asuma taught him well._

“Now, if you people could tell- _Sakura_?” The strength of the jutsu wavered a bit with his surprise, but it was still strong enough not to break off completely. 

Now aware of who he was dealing with, the nara clan member moved closer, allowing the trio to finally see some of his features, like his hair tied back in a ponytail, thin lips and sharp brown eyes.

Kakashi supposed this was what a young version of his sensei’s friend, Nara Shikaku, would look like, if he ever saw one.

“Shikamaru? Oh my god!” The shadow which was entangled to Sakura’s feet slid back, disappearing under Shikamaru’s own feet, and releasing her.

The pink haired girl took the opportunity to run towards him and trap him in a hug.

“The entire village is looking for you!” He somewhat scolded, as he hugged her back.

” They are doing a pretty good job at it, considering the ANBU tried to kill me” She retorted, sarcastically.

“They... what?” The disbelief on his face would have been hilarious if the situation wasn’t so serious. When Sakura didn’t waver, he let go of her, and scratched the back of his head.

“Jeez. What a drag. I hope you’re okay”

“I- “

“I’m sure you two are having a nice moment and all, but...” Kakashi interrupted.

“Right. These are- “

“Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto” Shikamaru finished, now focused on the threat. “You two are highly wanted nukenin, and members of the criminal organization named Akatsuki.”

“Maa, well... At least we don’t have to waste time introducing ourselves now” Kakashi shot back, on the exact same laid-back tone as before. This time, Sakura was able to notice the extremely slight change in his behavior. 

“They are the ones that brought me here and have been helping me all this time” She added quickly, before the situation could grow grim. “They don’t mean any harm. Please release them”

The Nara boy looked shocked for a moment, before his expression softened. He did not simply release the renegades as instructed though, but instead began considering the information he was given.

The teenager was no doubt a very high-level shinobi for his age. Unsurprisingly, he hardened his grip on their shadows.

“The fact they brought you here doesn’t make them any less dangerous. If anything, they want to trade you for something.”

“Actually, _Shikamaru_, if we wanted to be a threat...” Naruto spoke for the first time, practically mirroring his sensei’s tone.

A few seconds later, Shikamaru gasped.

_Dammit! At this rate..._

The shadow brutally tore apart, comically whipping around before returning to the one who cast it in the first place.

“Dammit” The Nara said, dropping his arms to the sides in a slouched position.

“As you see, we aren’t a threat” Kakashi closed his one visible eye in a smile, but remained still.

“And we don’t need a “_trade coin”_ Naruto added, sounding offended at the suggestion. Whether that was on his own behalf or Sakura’s, she did not know.

Trapped in an impossible situation, Shikamaru simply sighed.

“Fine. What do you want?”

Kakashi opened his eye.

“Sarutobi Asuma. Let me talk to him”

* * *

“And just_ what_ do you think you are doing here?” Asuma’s disbelief echoed through the thick walls of the temple room, and rung on Kakashi’s ears.

He wasn’t angry- not yet anyway, which was a good thing. Once his temper was set off, there was no dealing with the Sarutobi.

“Returning the princess, of course.” Kakashi answered, nonchalantly.

“The “_princess_.” Which you kidnapped yourself._”_

_“_Eh. Details.”

“Goddamnit Kakashi” Asuma snarled, a bit too loudly.

Both adults instinctively turned to the group of teenagers, who had gathered on the opposite side of the room, in a clear attempt of giving them privacy.

They did not seem to be any more bothered than before, however. If anything, all of them still appeared to be really interested in Naruto, who was clearly uncomfortable with all the attention.

“I had no choice.” He offered, meeting Asuma’s eyes. It _was_ the truth. But it was certainly not enough, and he knew it.

Asuma simply shrugged.

“Well, you returned her. You can go now”

“Actually.... there’s a bit of a problem” Asuma’s eyebrow perked up.

“A problem?”

“We ran into an ANBU squadron earlier. They have people searching the woods for us this very minute”

_Silence. _

The small lanterns spread across the room’s walls for illumination bathed Asuma’s red face. It looked purple after a few seconds, and Kakashi could swear even a little blue, before settling back on its usual tan.

“Do you have any idea- “

“A day” The nukenin interjected. “Just so Naruto can rest, and then we’ll be off your hair.”

Asuma blinked once.

“Permanently”

“You have my word”

The Sarutobi sighed deeply. Out of the corner of his eye, the nukenin could see the teenagers were in fact very interested on where the conversation was going, Naruto included.

“Alright.” He said, quietly, before motioning to get up.

He offered Kakashi a hand_. Huh. This was going a lot better than expected._

“Do you like sake?”

It wasn’t a question.

“Very much”

* * *

The fire temple was a very extensive place.

Between the countless inner rooms, destined for sleeping, eating and meditating, there were at least five external areas, where the monks practiced their combat skills, all of which Ino had happily shown her, once she found her childhood best friend during dinner.

“_I’ll see you again soon”_ She had promised, the last summer night before returning to her sensei at the fire temple. At the time, the “_soon_” she was referring to would be her wedding with Sasuke-sama. 

Sakura never knew why Asuma wasn’t based at the village, like all the other jounin sensei, nor why Ino’s parents had been so persistent about him being the one to teach their daughter, but alas, she’d followed through with their wishes, and their once daily conversations were soon reduced to letters, and once or twice a year meet ups.

Needless to say, Ino was clearly taking advantage of the opportunity.

“And this is my room” She confided, sliding the door open to reveal a modest, but comfortable sized bedroom. The only items in the room were a desk, with a portrait of her and her parents on top of it, next to neatly organized weaponry. At last, a single vase sat in the far corner, with a beautiful purple flower that matched her outfit.

“Shobu” She clarified, before Sakura could ask. “Beautiful, right?”

“Yes, it really is. And I love your room” Sakura looked around, as if to illustrate.

“Thank you” Ino answered. “It’s nothing like you have back in Konoha, but I hope you’ll be comfortable for the night”

Right. She was under custody of actual leaf village shinobi for a few hours now, and if Ino’s sensei hadn’t decided to only warn the hokage about the situation once Naruto and Kakashi were gone tomorrow, her little adventure would’ve already been over (_if it was up to her parents, permanently_).

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Ino” The blonde girl clearly noticed the lack of excitement in her voice but chose not to comment on it. Sakura was thankful for that.

“Itachi-sama will send some jounin to escort you as soon as he hears where you are.” Ino commented, all too aware of where Sakura’s thoughts laid. “Sensei said I can be part of your escort group” She offered.

“I would love that.” Sakura said, sincerely. “You haven’t changed one bit, have you?” Ino shrugged.

“It’s been six months since we last met, I want to spend as much time with you as possible. And besides, helping your friends is part of a leaf shinobi’s will of fire.”

Sakura gave her a puzzled look.

“Your sensei never taught you about that?”

“Not really. Obito sensei says it’s important to stick to the rules, no matter what. And that a shinobi needs to be able to see through the lies of their friends, and enemy alike” She quoted, actually paying attention to the words for the first time since the bell test.

_Lies…_ Like the ones about the Akatsuki (_which she’d come to know was the name of the organization Naruto and Kakashi were part of, and that’s what the cloaks represented_), and how evil they were. It was something that had been under her nose for her entire life, and she never noticed. Probably would never have, had she not met them personally. _Did Obito sensei know the truth?_ He was an Uchiha, after all. The coup benefited him too. And more than that, w_hat else did he lie to her about? _

“Your sensei is weird.” Ino gave her an odd look. “But I suppose he’s really good, considering he was assigned to the two heirs of the leaf.”

Yes. Sasuke-Sama was to be the next Hokage, should Itachi never have children. But even if he did not become the next ruler, he would still lead the entire police force, and make sure the laws his nephews passed were followed. As for her, she was expected to take over the leaf village’s hospital, once she was old and educated enough.

And her parents had really dedicated themselves to her education, whether it was with the best medical professionals available, or the endless extra history lessons she and Sasuke-kun were subjected to. After all, as the wife of the possible future hokage, she too had to be aware of the laws, and rules, and history that composed the village.

Did Sasuke know the truth? She wasn’t sure. As far as she knew, they had both been subjected to the same kinds of lessons, though he had combat lessons instead of medical ones. Not to mention he too was really young when the coup took place. 

If she, with all the power her clan had, had been lied to, alongside the hokage’s brother, what about the other less fortunate villagers? The ones she was supposed to care for?

“Sakura? Are you okay?” Ino’s concern brought her back to reality.

Sakura felt warm, and the room had begun spinning.

“Y-yes.” She stuttered, already heading for the door. “I just need to get some air. I’ll be back soon”

“Okay, but do you know where you’re- “The door slid shut, and Sakura started walking right, until she could no longer be seen through the shōji.

The blonde rolled her eyes.

“Only _forehead_ would get away with behaving like that”

* * *

Sakura walked through the now cold and dark corridors, trying her best to remember the tour Ino had given her earlier.

It was already somewhat late, and all the monks were apparently fast asleep, which meant she couldn’t simply knock on one of the doors and ask. Even if she could, she doubted they’d help her. If anything, they would send her right back to Ino’s room. The thought wasn’t enough to keep her mind from wandering off to the very reasons she left the bedroom in the first place, but it made her walk slower, and even consider using some chakra to conceal her presence.

It didn’t take long for her shinobi self-preservation instincts to tell her she was completely lost.

_Great. _

Frustration washed over her, but only for a moment. _Impatience never led to anything, if not even more failure_. The next time she met Obito sensei, they would have a very serious conversation, but she could not ignore the validity of his words; Being lost meant there was no way she could turn around either.

And so, she kept pushing forward.

As hilarious as that was, it seemed the current dilemma gave her a break from the anxiety she previously felt. _Yes_, allowing her shinobi training to take over completely, she turned at the edge of a corridor for the last time, before moving in a straight line.

She still remembered Iruka sensei’s words, as he scribbled on the board. _When breaking into a building, the best way to find an escape route was following a straight line. Eventually, you’d come across one of the surrounding walls, which would usually contain a window, or…_

She halted, once the balcony came into view. It was a bit windy, and the cold breeze softly brushed against her skin, making the hair on her arms stand up. That, however, barely phased her. Because standing outside, leaning on the railings, was _him._

She thought she wouldn’t see him again. Yes, Kakashi said they would be spending the night, but she’d been with them long enough to know that the second the first rays of sunlight touched the temple, they would already be completely prepared to leave.

And yet, here he was. Accompanied by a single candle, which sat next to his left arm, it’s light wavering each time the wind blew, but somehow never completely going out.

Through the dim light that colored the scars on his left cheek, she could tell he was completely distracted, facing off into the pitch-black darkness. Had she wanted to turn around and leave, she could certainly do so, and he would never know.

Instead, Sakura took a step forward.

“Hi” She said, shily. Naruto instinctively turned, meeting her with surprised blue eyes.

_Blue. Not red. _

“Sakura” He said, still a bit surprised. Now that he acknowledged her presence and seemed unbothered by it, Sakura took a few more steps forward.

“I thought you’d be with your friends” He confessed, quietly. She understood his assumptions. They barely talked ever since the incident, and the awkwardness of the situation still hung around them.

“I needed to get some air” She revealed, and resumed making her way to the railings, until she was standing right next to him. “I thought you’d be with Kakashi”

He shrugged.

“I needed to get some air”

She puffed at his sarcastic remark, and a comfortable silence fell between them.

Sakura did not know how long they stayed like that, staring at the darkness of the forest below. She recalled hearing something about Shikamaru and Chouji overseeing the night patrols earlier and wondered if it was possible to see them from where they stood.

“I’m sorry” Sakura’s eyes widened.

“What is this about?”

“What happened the other day. In the forest. I… didn’t want them to hurt you.” She couldn’t help the warmth that spread all over her stomach.

“It wasn’t your fault. The Hokage- “

“He sent them to rescue you from your kidnappers” He insisted, cutting her off. “And Kakashi only took you because I got sick, dattebayo”

“That’s also not your fault.” She replied, firmly.

“These things happen. You are human, after all” That last part of the sentence earned a bitter laugh from him.

“Yeah. Not a lot of people see that, though” The words cut through her like a knife.

Jinchuuriki were nothing more than monsters. Weapons, created solely with the purpose to protect their villages. All the countries had one available, after an agreement created by the first Hokage, Hashirama Senjuu, in an attempt to achieve peace between the nations.

Sakura vaguely recalled the names of the jinchuuriki from each village up to date, but what marked her the most was Konoha’s missing one.

Uzumaki Naruto. She wasn’t sure why Itachi-sama had kept his name a secret, though maybe the fact he was a childhood friend to the younger portion of forces, and the son of a beloved (at least before the coup) hokage were very good hypothesis.

Whichever the reason, the bounty on his head was no laughable amount. Whoever brought him back to the leaf would have more than enough money to settle down for life, if they chose to.

_Jinchuuriki were to be contained and used only when absolutely necessary, as they were extremely dangerous._ She quoted. Should the fifth hokage succeed, her friend would be treated as if he was nothing more than an object for the rest of his life.

Sakura felt so angry she had to forcefully prevent herself from shaking. Naruto was extremely powerful, there was no doubt about it. But he was so much more than that… “_dangerous weapon_”? What were the men that attacked her earlier, if not just that?

How could people judge him for something that was clearly so far beyond his control?

_But had she not done exactly that, by avoiding him and being afraid of him after a quick glance at his abilities?_ Abilities he only used to try to help her in the first place.

The anger was completely replaced by embarrassment and shame. 

“What is it like?” She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

Naruto and she had been close once, but that was a million years ago. She wasn’t entitled to that kind of information. It was far too private, and definitely something he wasn’t comfortable with sharing. 

He stared at her for a long moment, as if measuring her words.

Sakura was about to apologize for the question when he opened his mouth.

“It’s… weird. I didn’t always know about it, you know. It was just this really weird sensation in my stomach, dattebayo. But after Nii-san and dad told me, it was as if… I was never alone.”

It was obvious he did not mean that in a good way.

Naruto shifted his weight, as if scrambling for the right words to say. The shift made his red cloud cape waver, and Sakura realized he had his left arm pressed against his stomach; A few seconds later, it returned to the railings.

“I just… I sometimes wish the people I love could be safe. That they didn’t have to deal with such a big weight all the time”

_ It was no wonder his father took him and ran, once he was no longer in power. _She thought. Hokage-sama had painted him as a traitor all this time, and sent countless assassins after them, when all he wanted to do was to keep his son safe. Disgust filled her mouth in an almost unbearable way.

And Naruto… she could not even begin to imagine how horrible his life was all this time. 

And so, she placed her hand on top of his.

“You are not a weight” She said, firmly. Surprised at the sudden touch, he stared at her decided glare with wide blue eyes.

“You are one of the kindest people I know. I am sorry for everything you had to go through thanks to this demon, but never call yourself _that_ again.”

Naruto could not believe his ears. Aside from his nii-san and father, no one who knew the truth had ever been that kind to him.

“Thank you, Sakura-chan” He said, turning his face to the forest below, before she had a chance to see the tears that were threatening to fall.

Sakura mirrored him, fully aware of the fact he did not try to move his hand.

“You’re welcome, Naruto”


	10. Chapter 10

The “one-night stay” ended up becoming three. And a half.

As it turned out, Asuma had a respectable stash of alcoholic beverages, and no one to share them with.

“Remember when we were kids, and you and Gai were in one of those crazy frenzy competitions you used to do?” Asuma spun his finger around a few times, before closing his hand around the glass. “And then you two idiots ended up pushing Kurenai into the river?”

“Yeah. Minato sensei grounded me for like a week” Kakashi replied, all too aware of the redness that had definitely begun forming on his cheeks.

Asuma’s intense laughter filled the air for a few seconds.

“Well, you did deserve that” He said, shrugging.

“Can’t say I disagree.”

The duo knocked the glasses together, before taking another sip.

_This felt good_. Better than he had felt in a lifetime. Though the alcohol might’ve had something to do with that, the silver haired ninja couldn’t remember the last time he was allowed to have a break and talk to a friend like this. It probably happened back at the leaf village, way before he and Minato sensei left and became nukenin.

Gai… Kurenai… Asuma… Tenzo… He had pushed all those feelings aside, and focused on the mission at hand, until they became nothing more than background noise. But now, having come face to face with two of those people in a very short time spam, it was impossible to deny how much he had actually missed them.

“So… what happened between you and her?" Kakashi asked, suddenly painfully aware of how long he’d been away from home for.

Asuma seemed to sober up at the question, and for a moment the Hatake wasn’t sure if he would get his answer. In the end, however, the older man simply sighed.

“Her clan sided with the Uchiha during the coup” oh. _Oh._

“I’m so- “

“It wasn’t her choice. Her father, the head of the clan at the time predicted the Hokage would not be able to contain the Uchiha. And he was right” The Sarutobi seemed to be fighting a wave of emotions as he spoke.

This time, Kakashi remained silent.

Asuma filled his cup one more time, and washed it all down before continuing.

“After the “defeat”, there was no way I could stay in Konoha. And so, I took my nephew and left. We didn’t speak for years, but…” Clumsily, Asuma looked out of the window of his room, which led to a hidden training area you couldn’t see from the entrance.

His three students, by Asuma’s orders before the drinking begun, were training down there. Or at least trying to, considering Naruto wouldn’t stop asking questions, and Sakura as well seemed to be sharing her adventures.

_Forget a month. It would take an entire year before they could return to the fire country. _

“The Ino-shika-cho clan leaders made a visit a few years later, and pleaded with me to teach their children. The fact I was so far away from Konoha being one of the main reasons for that”

“They support Minato sensei?” Asuma shook his head affirmatively.

“_He_ doesn’t suspect a thing. And in trying to make amends with the Sarutobi, as well as maintain his so-called allies, _he_ honored their request, provided I’d take them back to the leaf for progress evaluations twice a year” Kakashi’s head spun slightly at the alcohol-mixed-brand-new information. Still, he knew where his friend was getting at.

“And so that was when you met her” Asuma smiled.

“It was certainly not my choice. She found me, and despite all my resistance told me everything that had happened. And… well… These evaluations take a month…” He didn’t elaborate further, nor really had to

“So you are together then” He shrugged.

“I suppose so. We’ve been sending each other letters, but not too many, as all mail is thoroughly monitored by the ANBU. I was going to meet her at the Haruno-Uchiha wedding celebration, but word got out a certain nukenin had kidnapped the girl…” Kakashi adjusted his body.

“Well... You can help escort Ms. Haruno, and meet Kurenai afterwards” Asuma seemed to approve of Kakashi’s logic, and his scowl faded.

“I guess”

Asuma resumed to watching the younglings after that, occasionally shouting a slurred instruction when one of them made a mistake. Kakashi however was more interested in the information he had just obtained.

_There were clans in Konoha that actively supported them! _Was there a way for him to find out how many? Regardless of that, the date for their plan to be put into action was drawing near.

That was why sensei had left in the first place; Meeting with the people who their “friend” had convinced to help the “Akatsuki”, as the duo decided to call it.

He and Naruto had been so caught up in the situation with the Haruno girl that he’d forgotten all about that.

Once the fourth hokage reached out to him, it would most likely be with attack orders.

_And if that was the case…_

“Oi, Asuma” He started, on a much more serious tone.

“Don’t.” The other cut him off, instantly. “I know what you are thinking, and the answer is no.”

“Still, Minato sensei’s army will be on the move very soon. And he wouldn’t do that if he didn’t expect to win”

The sarcastic laughter that came out of the Sarutobi’s lips was unspeakably crude.

“Yeah. My father and sister shared that same sentiment. Turns out I had to bury them both”

“But- “

“_No. _When my sister passed, I promised her I’d take care of her son, and that is what I’ll do. Put him first. I trust you understand the sentiment.” _Naruto_. Kakashi stopped himself from turning to the blonde-haired boy he’d do anything to protect.

Asuma was right. He _did_ understand. But that was exactly why he was fighting this war.

He opened his mouth to protest, but it was a second too late.

“You need to go.” Asuma declared, forcefully pushing himself to his feet after one too many drinks. “Now. You and your boy”.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t expected that outcome, sooner or later. He was no longer a Konoha jounin, and Naruto was not just his student, who he’d brought along for a team up mission with Asuma’s team. No. It was a matter of time until reality caught up with them, and the fact was it just arrived.

Kakashi swallowed.

“Okay”

He was about to get up, when the door flung open and Chiriku raced inside, knocking down a few of the empty bottles in the process.

“What is it?” Asuma was clearly just as shocked as Kakashi at the sudden intrusion.

The monk folded his arms across his chest.

“The ANBU is here. And they would like to talk to you”

* * *

The fire temple was a historical monument. It was built over a hundred years ago, by the first feudal lord as proof of his power, but also as a peace offering to the community of monks that already lived in the region. 

Obito was never a fan of mathematics, physics, or most of the subjects taught at the academy. He always had a hard time understanding and using any of them, no matter how much effort he put into it. He was, however, absolutely charmed by national and worldwide history alike.

He recalled sitting in the classroom wide awake for once, as their teacher read out stories and stories about heroes, and their brave acts to protect their loved ones, and their country. He dreamt-no_, fantasized_ about being one of them, as he trained well into the night. A true hero, known and respected for bringing peace and development to his people.

As such, it was of course heartwarming that now, as an adult, he was dangerously close to becoming one.

As soon as the shinobi reached the front area of the temple, they were greeted by a group of young monks, probably the same age as his own students. The younglings were practicing some sort of training exercise with wooden bats, and stopped immediately once Konoha’s squadron approached.

Obito stepped forward.

“I’d like to have a word with your overseer.” Chatter ensued momentarily. Then, a man emerged from the crowd.

He wasn’t significantly taller than the others, but he was considerably older, and held a walking stick on his left hand. The elder stood still in front of his students, and his face conveyed absolutely no emotion, negative or otherwise, as he politely waited for Obito to state his purpose.

And so, he did.

“It was reported to the leaf that the temple is harboring two highly wanted fugitives, and possibly the kidnapped heir of the Haruno clan.” He spared a few looks at the crowd, in an attempt to spot any interesting reaction.

“We’d like you to surrender them to us, so we can avoid unnecessary violence.” The words fell out of his mouth like sharp knives, as the five masked ANBU loomed over his shoulders. At any other time, he would make an attempt to soften them.

The older man’s expression remained unchanged.

“We do not know those you speak of. The Hokage would do good by removing his soldiers from our land, as to avoid unnecessary blood shed” His tone reflected his face to the minimal details. The threat, however, hung heavily in the air above them.

Monks were never fans of changes in the natural order of things, and the Uchiha coup was quite the example of that, not to mention they housed the last heirs to Sandaime’s legacy in their temple. Obito was neither surprised nor shocked at the continued lack of cooperation from this particular group. It had been that way from the moment Itachi took over, and would remain as such for however long his ruling lasted.

Negotiations with the religious group were mostly avoided, and whenever they did happen, it took a very long time to get somewhere both parts would agree in, by the end of which whatever leverage would be achieved by striking the accord would already be meaningless. 

The difference between those times and now, was that the Uchiha did not have the time, nor the patience for that. Not when his student was in danger.

And so, he moved closer.

“How unfortunate. I’m sure you are familiar with the ANBU” he said, making a point to look back at them. “They are here to investigate the temple, under the Hokage’s orders. If by any chance they find who I’m looking for... you won’t like the result.”

“Nonsense!” One of the children yelled. He couldn’t be over 12, with brownish hair, and matching eyes. “The temple does not belong to your Hokage, It belongs to the feudal lord- “The older monk stretched out his arm, in a clear attempt to quiet him down. Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

Obito took the opportunity to stare at the young man. It was only then he noticed some very clear differences between the outfits of the remaining members of the group, and him. Though they shared the same color pattern, and probably the same fabric, the child’s clothes were far tighter against his body, and apparently lighter in weight as well.

These features served no purpose for a religious cult, but they were crucial for a shinobi.

The Uchiha turned his single eye back to the child’s face. Now that he was paying attention, the resemblance to the third Hokage was uncanny.

The boy shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

“You are right about that, young man.” Obito replied, the hint of a smile crossing his lips. “However, nukenin are threats not only to Hokage-sama, but also to the politicians, like the Feudal Lord. This investigation benefits him, and as such, it is authorized. Now...”

Obito was standing so close he could feel the hint of the boy’s breaths against his chest. “If you could step out of the way…” His tone was low, but assertive.

The younger man swallowed. Though he had inherited the bravery of the Sarutobi, he clearly hadn’t thought his actions that far, and was paying the price for that.

“I- “

The Uchiha felt it before he saw it. The sharp object flew past him, inches away from his nose, and lodged itself on the nearest tree. It was a chakra blade.

“That’s more than enough, Obito” Sarutobi Asuma, followed by two of his students and a monk walked out of the temple and into view.

“I agree completely.” He said, stepping back. “It is about time we begin our investigation. As a shinobi, I am sure you know how important it is to deal with nukenin”

The bearded man reached for his back pocket, and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. It wasn’t long until the smell of smoke filled Obito’s nostrils, even from that distance.

“I am aware of the threat they pose. Which is why if there was one here, I would have dealt with it. Personally”

Now within reach, both men stared each other down. And, despite the smoke, it was hard to miss the blatant redness on the other man’s cheeks, and the slightly dilated pupils. _Was he... drunk?_

“Then I also hope you are aware that though smoking while on duty is permitted, thanks to your late father, drinking classifies as some serious violation. Worse if you’re working as a sensei” The comment obviously caught the ninja off guard. He snorted, clearly looking for an excuse.

Sadly, there was none.

“Furthermore, I have no reason to believe that a drunk shinobi is under any condition to attest the safety of an area. Let alone a temple, with so many good places to hide” The ANBU seemed to take the hint, and the Uchiha simply felt the woosh of the wind, as they disappeared on every direction.

“You can’t-!” The child started again, but this time it was met with a punch to the stomach.

“Konohamaru!” The chubby teenager next to Asuma screamed, and sprinted towards them. 

“You need to learn your place” Obito said, before letting the boy drop to his knees. “In fact, all of you do. Rebelling against the Hokage is a very serious crime”

At this point, the Akimichi clan member had already reached them. He crouched down next to the child, who was holding his abdomen, in obvious pain.

“Konohamaru, Huh? Well, would you look at that. Your nephew has grown up quite a lot, Asuma! However- “

Obito’s words were cut off when the world exploded in flames around him.


	11. Chapter 11

Nara Shikamaru had seen his sensei angry before.

Whenever he lost one too many times on shogi, or when he and Chouji begun to slack off in the middle of training. Every time they had to report back to the leaf village, no matter the reason, and most of all, on the few rare occasions he and the jounin ordered by the Hokage came to check up on their progress, and monitor their training at the temple.

He had never seen him like this.

When the dust of the explosion dissipated, the world around him was not the same as it used to be. If there was ever an illustration that could define the bad place his mother would talk about whenever he did something he wasn’t meant to be doing, he was sure it looked quite similar.

The children which once trained in the open field were now desperately running towards the temple, completely covered in dust. Some even carried minor burns. Others coughed desperately against the smoke, as the flames ate away the world around them.

It was very hot. He vaguely realized, though for some reason the feeling did not hit him at full force.

The trees around him creaked, before falling in on themselves, miraculously not hitting anyone in the process. At this rate, the flames would consume the entire area surrounding the temple and the building itself in no time.

On the ground zero of the tragedy, eyes burning as fiercely as the flames, stood his sensei. Asuma violently attacked the Uchiha that had hit Konohamaru, who was in turn trying his best to defend himself.

Shikamaru wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he watched their blades crash, sending a stream of sparks everywhere.

“Have you completely lost your mind?!” Obito asked, as his now active sharingan allowed him to intercept another fatal strike.

“Honestly? I have never been saner” Asuma spat back, as the chakra pushed onto his blades got even taller.

Shikamaru was unsure of how long he stood there, too wrapped up into the energy irradiating from the two jounin.

There was no mistaking it. His sensei was set on _killing_.

Yet, the longer he watched, the clearer it was that despite his intentions, Asuma was holding back, and purposefully missing strikes that would have been fatal otherwise to favor a more defensive approach.

_And the reason for that was..._

“Uncle Asuma! I- “Konohamaru sat a few feet behind his uncle, and started coughing violently.

Chouji laid on the ground in front of him, flat on his stomach. He may have successfully protected the child from the blast, but it also meant he’d taken all of the impact from it himself.

Shikamaru felt his legs move.

“Shikamaru ni-chan!” Konohamaru, who spotted him from a distance managed to say, his cough momentarily forgotten.

“Unbelievable. Your first week as a genin, and you already started a war” He pulled the boy to his feet, and then onto his back. “Come on. I’ll take you somewhere safe”

“But uncle Asuma- “

“Don’t worry. Your uncle is the most powerful shinobi I know.” The answer seemed to convince the young Sarutobi.

Shikamaru then turned his attention to his fallen best friend.

The burns on his back seemed to be quite severe, but contrary to his earlier assessment, the red-haired shinobi was still awake.

“S-Shikamaru” He hissed, contracting his limbs inwards in a clear sign of pain. 

“Hi, Chouji. Can you stand? We need to move”

“Y-yeah” his friend replied, forcing his arms to push himself upwards. It worked, but the sudden paleness that covered his cheeks meant it wouldn’t last.

They really needed to get out of there.

“Okay, follow me”

By this point, the flames had almost completely surrounded the temple. The heat was unbearable, and Shikamaru could practically feel the water being ripped away from his body.

The urgency of the situation only made him pick up the pace, as he started making his way back towards the back, and hopefully away from the flames.

That was when the first ANBU raced past them.

A second one jumped off the building, and then a third. The explosion had alerted them of what happened, and they had arrived to assist the Uchiha.

The last two joined the group, and together in formation they sped forward, towards the hellhole his sensei created.

“Shikamaru!” Choji’s scream brought him back to the present. Shikamaru glanced backwards once again, but the ANBU were already gone.

_Asuma sensei will never be able to take on all of them. _

“Dammit” he cursed, before crouching down so that Konohamaru could get off his back. The child seemed to take the hint, and immediately slid down.

“Konohamaru. Listen to me. I need you to follow Chouji. He will get you out of here. Do you understand me?” The kid nodded.

“Good. The fire made it so that there’s only one escape path. It means you will most likely run into monks when you find safety, and they will help both of you. I will catch up soon” This time, the comments were aimed at his friend. Choji nodded once.

“I got it. Where are you going?” Shikamaru smiled.

“To help our dumbass sensei”

* * *

Shikamaru miraculously managed to make his way back without passing out to the location of the battle.

As he predicted, the ANBU all gathered around the initial battle, targeting his sensei. What neither he nor the black ops had expected, was that Chiriku and the elder from earlier would have joined the battle to aid him.

“_Fire style: flame blossom_!” Chiriku yelled, making a wave of flames rain across the sky, towards the group of ANBU.

“_Wood style: Dome wall!” _One of them shot back, and a wooden dome rose from the ground, effectively shielding all of the enemies from the flames.

The elder was there in an instant.

_“Doton: Multi mud wall!”_

The jutsu created what could only be described in size as an arena around the ANBU’s wood dome, creating a barrier between them and the trio of temple shinobi.

Shikamaru slid against one of the side walls at the same time as a wave of bugs flew from behind the barrier.

The teenager recognized the Aburame jutsu instantly. _Shino?_

There was not a lot of time to ponder on that, as the insects were met with a fire canon, fully disintegrating them.

Finally reaching the corner, Shikamaru turned, immediately running into a soft surface.

“Whoa easy there, Shikamaru” Asuma said, placing his hands on the teen’s shoulder to steady him.

“Asuma Sensei! What happened to Obito?” The older shinobi shrugged.

“He disappeared right before my eyes. I’m not exactly eager to find him” The way he spoke showed a level of calm completely unfit for the situation at hand.

In other words, his sensei was back. For some reason, that also made Shikamaru relax.

“Disappeared?”

“Probably one of his sharingan’s skills. He won’t be gone forever” The older man perked an eyebrow.

“Konohamaru?”

“Safe” he replied, simply. _At least he hoped so_.

“Thank you.” He said, truthfully.

“No problem, sensei. But we have to go”

“Yes, but first...” The jounin effortlessly jumped over the mud barrier, landing next to his best friend. Chiriku however did not seem so eager to see him.

“It seems you left us with quite a mess” He accused.

“Just like old times then?”

The jounin made a couple hand seals.

“_Fire release: ash pile burning_” he opened his mouth, and a wave of smoke begun fuming out, until the entire arena was covered in it.

And then, Asuma put his lips together.

The walls contained the explosion, but only barely. The noise left Shikamaru’s ears ringing, and when the three older men jumped back through the wall, and told him to run, he did not have to be told twice.

Xx

Was it not for the stone path he’d walked through ever since he was ten years old, he would have absolutely no idea of where he was, in the sea of flames that surrounded them.

Shikamaru licked his dry lips ineffectively. The thirst that took over him was unlike anything he had experienced before.

At the moment, though, the only thing he could do was focus on running.

And run they did, until the hellish environment opened on a green field, with a green, untouched forest in the background.

_They did it! _

It seemed as if all of the men mutually agreed on picking up the pace at the sight. They were inches away from the tree line, when Shikamaru sensed it.

The chakra signature had all but materialized itself behind them. He instinctively turned around, just in time to see Uchiha Obito free falling towards his teacher’s back, a kunai in hands.

“STOP!” He howled uselessly, as if the request was somehow possible.

“Shadow possession jutsu- “_no, it was too late_.

Asuma turned around, taking in the scene before him.

_Clash!_

The sound of metal on metal was certainly unexpected to Obito. Asuma should not have been able to sense him before he struck, much less counterattack somehow.

Somewhat annoyed at his failed strike, his eyelid slid open, ready to continue what would now be a fight.

The surprise in his veins turned to adrenaline.

His Kunai had been intercepted by a sword.

The scratch carved across the leaf village forehead protector held the unruly silver hair back, exposing his eyes. One black, and the other one scarred, with a single sharingan.

“Hatake... Kakashi.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I was extra sick yesterday. Hope you enjoy!

_“In the ninja world, those who who break the rules are scum. But… those who abandon their friends are even worse than scum”_

_._

_“No matter what the village says, I think you are a great jounin”_

_ ._

_“Take care of Rin for me”_

_._

_“Yeah. I will”_

_._

_“HATAKE KAKASHI! WHERE IS HE?” Obito’s voice echoed through the ever silent ANBU hallways. He wasn’t supposed to be there. Only he did not care. _

_“I’m not sure, sir” The female ANBU wearing a monkey mask replied, awkwardly. It only made the Uchiha more desperate. _

_“WHAT? He’s one of you! How can’t you know?!”_

_“He hasn’t reported back-”_

_“Miku, it’s okay” His cousin’s unmistakable voice cut the girl off. _

_“Itachi” Obito said, because there was nothing else to be said, as the blood covered Uchiha moved closer to him. His stomach sunk at the sight. _

_“_ _You won’t find your friend here.” He revealed, satisfying Obito’s doubts. _

_“What do you mean by that?” _

_“He ran away. With the Fourth”_

* * *

The massive difference in the size of the blades made the pull unbearable, and so Obito jerked backwards. The loss of the surprise effect was more than enough for Asuma to pull his blades out, and assume an attack stance.

It was also more than enough for the Nara clan member to successfully trap him using their traditional shadow jutsu, but none of that mattered.

It was him. After ten years, his so-called best friend stood right in front of his eyes.

“Hatake Kakashi” The name felt foreign on his lips. He said it a million times in the past few days, but somehow the words had acquired unseen weight now that they were being spoken to him.

“Obito” The other man mimicked, carefully holding his sword next to his left thigh.

Obito’s own sharingan stared back at him for the longest time.

_He wanted to kill him. He was going to._ Obito had imagined a million different scenarios, and even phrases to use at the time that finally came to be. Due to recent events, his imagination had come to life with so many of those thoughts. And yet…

“It’s been a while” He had no idea what made him say it. The familiarity, maybe. The fact they had been a team for so long. Kakashi seemed just as taken aback by his choice of words.

“Yeah. I guess so” The ease in which he replied somehow ignited a fire at the pit of Obito’s stomach.

“How dare you. After everything we went through-”

“Obito sensei!” A feminine voice called, before the pink haired girl came into view.

“Sakura” He could barely believe it.

She was safe, and visibly so. Dirty, and with a few scraps on her arms and legs, which had definitely been caused by the roughness of the situation she found herself in, but nevertheless safe. For the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe.

_Now, if only he could get rid of the shadows that tied him…_

“I’m so happy you’re safe. I thought- “

“Listen to me, sensei. Please” Something in her tone made him stop struggling.

Now that he was truly taking time to look at her, it was undeniable; She seemed different. Past the dirty clothes and messy hair. No, it was as if she had grown in some way.

She wasted no time in taking the cue.

“These are not bad people” She said, gesturing towards the group of newly formed nukenin, as well as Kakashi. He frowned.

“They kidnapped you; _He_ kidnapped you” Kakashi visibly recoiled at the poison in his words. _Good_.

Sakura turned to his former friend.

“He needed help, and apologized for his actions. More than that, he has been protecting me ever since. He even brought me here so that I could return safely to the Leaf” Obito could not believe his ears.

“I’ll be damned. Hatake Kakashi has a heart. However, that does not change the fact he is a highly wanted criminal, who needs to pay for his crimes. In fact, so are the ones helping him right now.”

The words were meant for Asuma and his people, but it was Sakura’s gaze that hardened instead.

The little girl he’d trained from a very young age was long gone, replaced by a fierce shinobi. _Yes._ There was no denying how much she’d grown.

He could not help the pride that coursed through his body, nor the sorrow that all that strength was being aimed at him.

“Crimes like a coup? Like hunting down children with the intent to kill them? What about those crimes, _sensei_?”

_Of course_. He tried to maintain a neutral expression as much as possible.

“I don’t know what he has been telling you, but- “

“So, it is a lie?” She cut him off. “Tell me, sensei. Tell me they have been lying to me this entire time, and the Uchiha did not take over by choice, before the Hokage even made a move on them.” She was practically yelling now.

Unlike the many other times where he’d seen her this angry and frustrated, there were no tears pooling on her eyes, and no fear on her voice.

He wanted to lie. She would believe him, being his student for such a long time, and would probably even help him escape. He could convince her that they were all the bad guys, and then take her home to safety.

But the Sakura of now would never forgive him if she found out the truth. In fact, odds were she would rebel, and confront Itachi, which would only end in one way.

“It’s… complicated” He heard himself say instead.

_That wasn’t a no_.

Hurt washed over her eyes, and she turned away from him.

“I see…”

“Sakura- “ The distinctive sound of leaves creaking came from the forest right in front of her, just out of his sight. If he heard it, so had the others. The jutsu he was under prevented him from sensing whoever was approaching.

Still, Sakura and all the other shinobi around him remained completely still, which meant whoever it was, wasn’t an enemy of theirs.

After a few seconds, a flint of yellow hair made its appearance, just above Sakura’s head.

“Are you okay?” Naruto asked, softly. Sakura nodded once. He walked past her, brushing on her arm as he went, and paying no attention to Obito whatsoever.

“Nii-san?” _Nii-san?_ The comment made Obito want to both bend over in laughter and puke in disgust.

“_Nii-san?_ Really, Kakashi? Well, I hope you’ll treat him better than you treated your former friends.

“Don’t talk about him like that” Naruto’s tone was low, and he still refused to meet Obito’s eyes, but the Uchiha did not miss the way Kakashi reached out for his arm. 

“And why would I do that? He turned on his friends and left, not even bothering to say goodbye. It’s no wonder you two get along. He’s trash, just like you”

“Naruto is a good person” Sakura interjected, clearly shocked at his comments.

“You’ve grown up a lot in the past few days, but there’s still a lot for you to learn. He’s a jinchuriki, Sakura, and so, dangerous. Did you see what he did to the ANBU that went after him?”

“You mean the one that tried to kill me?” Obito froze.

“What…?”

“Yeah. If it wasn’t for Naruto, I’d be dead now. Not that Itachi-sama cares. Clearly, he only thinks about the interests of the Uchiha clan, no matter who gets hurt in the process”

“That’s not true!” He protested, trying to think of an example, a way to turn the situation around. There was nothing. Obito could physically feel himself losing her. _He had to do something. He had to-_

“Goodbye, sensei.”

“Sakura, wait-!”

The whack to his head was strong enough to knock him unconscious. Shikamaru loosened his grip.

“That’s enough out of him” Konohamaru commented, still holding the large log he found god knows where. Asuma simply chuckled in amusement.

“Your nephew is pretty badass” Naruto commented, poking Obito with the edge of his sandal a couple times. The younger boy seemed to love the complement.

“Thank you! My name is Konohamaru” He politely stretched his hand out.

“Naruto” The other boy took it.

“As glad as I am that you are all becoming friends, we need to move” Chiriku said, completely breaking the atmosphere.

“Right!” Naruto and Konohamaru both let go of each other, and started moving back towards the forest. The rest of the group followed.

Kakashi did not miss the way the boy stopped next to Sakura, who was still fixated on her former teacher, and enlaced his hand with hers.

Sakura came back to reality at that exact moment, and followed the boy into the woods, without letting go.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

Asuma snorted.

“You are _so _screwed” He patted Kakashi’s shoulder twice, before walking off himself.

“Yeah” Kakashi said, to no one in particular. “I am”

* * *

It did not take them a very long time hopping through the trees before they caught up to Ino, who, as it turned out, had helped all of the monks flee after showing Kakashi and Naruto a safe way out of the temple. It seemed there had been no fatal victims, much to Chiriku’s joy, and Asuma’s relief.

“Bring me all the wounded” Commanded Sakura, the second they decided it was safe to take a break. Seeing no reason to oppose, the small group of wounded begun to form a line.

“I’ll help you” Ino said. It wasn’t a question.

Sakura smiled.

* * *

“This should be far enough” Asuma commented, pulling out another cigarette from the box, and gladly inhaling the smoke the second he sat down on the branch. The monk agreed.

“Yes. As soon as my group is healed, we will be heading off” It was the smart thing to do. Chiriku's group was made up of non shinobis, and while they could certainly hold their ground if they had to, fighting was not their primary response. Besides, Itachi's ANBU would without a doubt focus on the group of renegades that'd deserted his village, and he'd send their best. It wasn't safe for any of them, and that was specially so for the religious group. 

On top of everything, there was no way a group this big was not leaving traces everywhere. It wouldn't be long before this partnership became a hurdle for all involved. 

“Any plans?” Asked Asuma.

“Finding asylum in some other country. We have adepts in pretty much all of them” Chiriku revealed, calmly.

“I see…” Though it was the logical thing to do, letting go of everything he had for the past decade was not easy. Nevertheless, it wasn’t everything. He’d have his teachings with him, and also…

Asuma glanced down at the ground, where his nephew was eagerly chatting with a very confused Naruto.

“Asuma?” Chiriku called. “Stay safe” He held out his fist, in a gesture they hadn’t done in years. A brand they’d invented themselves to symbolize the 12 guardians.

Asuma obliged.

“You got it”

* * *

Naruto did not learn a lot about many things.

It was something he realized within the past few days, and that was becoming more and more evident the more he talked to a group of people his age, as he’d always wanted to.

History, politics, cartoons (_what was that_?), manga… It all sounded so far from his reality. Though they were all teenagers, and all shinobi, it was almost as if he did not belong.

** _THAT IS BECAUSE YOU DON’T_ **

The fox’s twisted voice ripped through his mind, playing with his insecurities.

He tried his best to ignore it.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time Sakura and Ino finished properly caring for everyone. The group of shinobi stared as the group of monks disappeared amongst the vegetation, and into the night.

He may not know a lot about the things a teenager should, but he was well aware that a smaller group, made up of only shinobi had better chances of survival.

And for that reason, Naruto was thankful.

“Hey, Naruto” Shikamaru called, from somewhere on his left. Naruto followed the voice into a small clearing, that had clearly been prepared for them to spend the night in. The other members of the group were already all there, as was Sakura-Chan, who was now focused on healing Choji’s back.

“Oh hi, Naruto, do you mind?” Ino asked, pointing the pile of wood she was carrying in his direction.

“Not at all” he replied, taking it from her, and finding a good spot to start making a fire.

_Not too close to the places they’ll use for sleep. But not too far that it’s inefficient, and will attract enemies. _Kakashi’s childhood lessons had been instilled into him almost as deeply as the fox. He was grateful however, as it all had kept him alive this far. Even if it apparently had cost a lot of important things for Kakashi himself.

He knew his friend missed his old life, because how could he not? He just never had to deal with the reality it was all his fault in the first place.

_Would he ever stop hurting the people he loved?_

At least he wasn’t THAT embarrassing that he didn’t even know how to start a fire, he reasoned, bitterly. Sakura and her friends wouldn’t be able to be weirded out by his ninja skills, at the very least.

That said, he wasn’t sure if they should be making it in the first place under these conditions, (_aka being hunted down by high level shinobi_) but the fact no one had stopped him yet was reassuring.

_Whoosh. _

_Speak of the devil_.

“I’m sorry about the fire pit. I’ll take it down” He said, dropping his hands onto his lap. After what happened earlier, upsetting his nii_\- Kakashi_ was the last thing he wanted.

“Maa, the fire is fine. Obito will probably return to the leaf once he wakes up.” The masked shinobi gazed up at the starry sky.

“There’s something I would like to talk to you about.”

Without a word, Naruto got to his feet and followed the other man deeper into the forest. 

* * *

Kakashi wasn’t really someone who talked a lot.

The blonde remembered playing in the forest as a child, happily showing off what he called his “special moves”, or simply trying to hold any conversation in general with his one constant companion. Kakashi would always reply, of course. Show interest, sometimes even challenge him. But Naruto could never shake the feeling he was never completely there. As if there was always something distracting him.

Now as a teenager, Naruto knew he was trying his best to keep him safe.

His collected behavior also meant that private conversations were always to share some sort of bad news. Which was why by the time the silver haired man seemed satisfied with their location, Naruto’s heart was hammering on his chest.

“What is it?”

Kakashi leaned against a tree in response.

Never, in a million years, would Naruto have expected that the words who would leave his mouth.

“What is going on between you and Sakura?”

The teenager blinked slowly.

“What?”

“You two seem very close now” Kakashi commented, just as casually as before. Naruto was still speechless.

“We’re friends” he answered, reasonably.

“But you want more”

There were no words for how much Naruto’s cheeks burned.

“Nii San!” He hissed, completely forgetting not to use the word. Kakashi lifted his arms in a gesture of surrender.

“It’s okay, you know? You are growing up, and she is-”

“Stop.” Naruto shook his head. _God_. He had not signed up for this.

“I just want you to be careful.” Naruto perked an eyebrow.

“Why is that?”

The older man stared at him for the longest moment.

“Because even the brightest of loves can turn into the darkest nights.”

The weight in which those words were said hung above Naruto_. _

“Is that what happened to you?” The silver haired shinobi widened his single exposed eye as if he had not expected that question. Eventually, he looked away.

“Yes”

Naruto did not know how to respond to that.

Anyhow, his _sensei_ was right. He did need to start looking at the facts.

Whatever it was that he felt towards Sakura, she was a shinobi of the leaf, and more than that, promised to his former best friend, who’d always been a very talented shinobi. She would be safe with Sasuke. Certainly safer than she was with a renegade jinchuriki, avoiding dangerous shinobi in the middle of the forest for her entire life. Whichever angle you looked at that from, the chances that it would all end well on any level were very slim.

Kakashi felt the weight on his chest before he had any chance to react.

The blonde wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“Alright. I will be careful” he replied, quietly. “Thank you”

Kakashi nodded once, before awkwardly wrapping his own around Naruto.

“You’re welcome, Naru.”

**TSC, WHAT A JOKE. HE IS RIGHT, YOU KNOW? YOU WILL NEVER. HAVE. HER.**

He slowly released Kakashi from his grip, and moved to the edge of the hill, so he could stare at the forest far below.

She was right. They both were. He had no idea of what Sakura’s feelings were, nor was he sure that their love would ever be allowed.

Nevertheless, Naruto would try.

“Oi, Naruto” Kakashi called, once more.

“I left with your dad and you because I wanted to. It was my choice, and I don’t regret it.” The boy smiled in gratitude.

“I am happy you did” Kakashi tilted his head.

“So am I”


	13. Chapter 13

When the duo made it back to the clearing, the fire was already high, and everyone else lazily sat around it, eating freshly caught fish.

“Ah good! You two are back” Choji exclaimed, bringing everyone’s attention to them. He was holding two poles, both of which held fish that were equally eaten.

“Yep! Just solving some family matters, that’s all” Kakashi replied, picking one of the two empty spots available sit. Naruto followed.

“I bet” Shikamaru said, from Naruto’s right. He picked up the only two poles who were fully uneaten, and offered them to the duo, who gladly took it.

“Thank you” Naruto stared at the somewhat cooked fish. It smelled delicious, but his nii-san’s was definitely better. Taking advantage of the fact everyone else seemed to be entertained with their own food, Naruto’s eyes casually wandered through the group, until they found her.

She was sitting across from him, next to Ino and Konohamaru. The blonde girl reached for her ear and whispered something completely inaudible to him. A second later, her eyes connected with his. 

It only lasted for the briefest of moments, as both quickly looked away, but Naruto felt his chest grow warmer.

_Was this what love felt like? _He loved his father, ero senin, granny Tsunade and of course, his nii-san. This was entirely different though.

“Don’t thank me.” Shikamaru replied, now that he was done chewing on the meat. “There’s a river nearby. Asuma sensei caught them”

“Is that so? I didn’t take you for a fisherman, Asuma” the corners of Kakashi’s eyes crinkled.

“Funny. Well, if you have the time to crack jokes, I suppose you’re also thinking of a way of getting out of here before your former friends catch up” Though the information was certainly heavier, it was said on the same friendly tone Kakashi used.

“Depends. Does that mean you’re on board with joining us?”

Nothing but the creak of burning wood filled the air for the longest time. The former leaf shinobi looked to his nephew, and then to his team.

“It was a pleasure to teach all of you. You have all become such fine shinobi, and the will of fire burns inside each and every single one of you... Which is why I won’t judge you if you want to go back to the leaf village now”

“What are you even talking about, sensei?” Ino blurted out, eyes wide.

“Yeah. As if we’d go anywhere. Especially after what those people did to the monks.” Choji added. Shikamaru nodded.

“And besides... it would be a sin never to taste your delicious food again”

The laughter that ensued softened the situation entirely. That was good. They all needed that.

“Very well then. I suppose that means team 10 is still in action”

“I will stay too” Sakura’s tone was firm, and decided.

“Sakura! But you are part of one of the founding families!” Ino exclaimed, before Naruto had the chance to interject.

In response, the kunoichi pulled her leaf forehead protector down, and focused chakra on a single finger.

“I am. And for the longest time, I believed that they truly wanted what was best for the leaf. A fair, bright future, and for everyone, just as I was taught my entire life. Unfortunately, it seems that was not true” The scratch in the metal right across the leaf symbol matched the newfound determination in her face.

“Which is why if I actually want to make that dream a reality, I can no longer depend on any of them”

She was no longer the girl who’d left the village with her sensei on a mission, and she would never be again.

“So? What’s the plan?” She asked, ignoring the shock in her friend’s faces.

The two former jounin exchanged glances.

“We’re going to the land of waves” Kakashi replied.

“Good” She folder her legs on top of each other, and picked up her fish again, taking a generous bite from it.

The now scratched protector hung above her forehead, softly placed on top of her fluffy pink hair.

It was at that moment Naruto knew, without a shadow of doubt, he was in love with her.

* * *

It was already night when Obito jolted awake.

“Easy there” The purple haired ANBU said, as she loomed over him. “You inhaled a lot of the smoke, and hit your head pretty hard. Frankly, we weren’t sure you’d make it” The green glow faded completely from her hands.

“Didn’t... hit it. Got hit” He clenched his prosthetic arm’s muscles, ignoring the dizziness as he pushed himself to a sitting position. His health status was not the important part right now.

It seemed they had moved him somewhere else, away from the temple and the fire. The other four ANBU were scattered through the place, their masks long forgotten above their heads.

He did not blame them; If the group was to go home empty handed once more, Obito was sure it would be the last time they did so.

“Did you get what we came for?” He asked the youngest of them.

“Yes”

The boy put his notebook down, as well as the paintbrush he was scribbling with. Instead, he reached behind the rock, to reveal a Hawk.

A single letter hung from his left leg. The satisfaction that washed over him was far too big to bear silently.

He had done it.

His laughter reverberated through his body, until his chest hurt.

“What’s so funny?” Asked Yamato, incredulously. 

Obito placed his hand on the cage.

“Tell Hokage sama everything is going according to plan”

* * *

The land of waves was a fantastic hiding spot.

The country was small, poor, and hardly attracted any attention at all from outsiders. Most importantly, though, was the fact it did not have a hidden village behind it, assuring it’s security.

Sakura only knew about this place because her parents had brought it up once, though not for a business trip, or some successful sale they had been able to complete, like they so often did. She supposed that was the reason it stood out to her.

The reason they brought it up, was how dangerous it was.

“_Failed mission: Konoha jounin found dead in the land of waves”_, her father’s newspaper read. The agent had been sent undercover, but ambushed by what the ANBU believed to be a group of powerful renegades.

By the time a body was found, there hadn’t been much left of the shinobi to tell the tale.

It was rather logical, now that she thought about it. The lack of a ninja village, aligned to the lack of anything to make it stand out made the place a paradise for all sorts of dangerous criminals.

That also meant herself, now.

She wondered if Obito sensei had already returned to the village, and told the Hokage what happened. She could practically see the disappointment in her father’s eyes, and her mother’s anguished sobs at the fact their daughter had given herself a death sentence.

_It was the right thing to do_. She still believed as much. In fact, she’d never been more certain of anything in her life; The village she wanted to build for her people could not come out of the current government, no matter how much convincing she managed to do with Sasuke. What Konoha truly needed was change, and a positive one.

_Fate had it she ran into the people that wanted to do exactly that_. Sakura wasn’t completely sure of what Akatsuki’s goals were, nor did she meet any of the members beside herself, and her old friends from team 10, but she was positive it had to do with the leaf. 

A group of powerful shinobi willing to fight for Konoha was exactly what she needed. And in the eventuality their goals did not align with hers, she would simply help them fulfill their plan as much as it was possible, without causing any real harm, and then wander off on her own, though maybe she could reason with Lord Fourth, if she had to.

It was crazy, certainly. But not crazier than joining a band of renegades, and since she already had that covered... When it was all said and done, she’d meet her parents again, and fix things, she promised.

The only thing she really had to deal with now was...

“Alright. We have officially left the fire country, and entered the land of waves” Naruto reported, crouched on a branch a few trees away. Kakashi had ordered him to take the lead earlier, and so far, he had done a great job with it.

The silver haired shinobi, who’d taken the back of the group alongside Asuma, materialized next to him.

“Good job. There’s a village nearby where we can buy supplies, and rest for the day. I think we’re all needing that” There was a general murmur of agreement between the teenagers, before everything went silent again. Kakashi took the cue.

“Before we do that, however, you guys will need to blend in better” as soon as he finished, his hand went up to his scratched forehead protector. Asuma cussed.

“Well, we’ve come this far…”

“What’s wrong with our forehead protectors, Asuma sensei?” Ino was the one to ask, but the question hovered over her teammates faces as well.

“Shinobi that are still linked to a village are not welcome in the land of waves.” He answered, but did not provide further explanation.

In response, Naruto flung a Kunai at the branch the chunin were standing on, barely missing their toes.

“We’ll also have to find you a change of clothes, but that can wait. For now-” Naruto winked.

“Welcome to the Akatsuki, dattebayo!” Sakura smiled back at him knowingly, her forehead protector already properly marked.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head.

“What a drag....” He reached for the Kunai, pulling it out of the wood. His teammates soon followed.

* * *

Now properly renegaded, the group of shinobi pushed forward, with Kakashi and Naruto leading. Sakura watched distractedly as they hoped together, their movements far more synchronized than she and Obito sensei would ever be able to achieve.

Being lost in thought was perhaps the reason Sakura missed the “woosh” of leaves behind her, marking the blonde’s movement from Kakashi’s side to hers.

It took everything in her not to trip.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He immediately said, though she wasn’t entirely sure he meant that. “Here.” The cloak he was always wearing was being held in his left hand, and he offered it to her.

“To help you blend in”

“Oh. I. Uh....” Sakura could not find the proper words for the life of her, and so, she took the cape from his hands.

The fabric was soft, and still warm.

“Thank you” She said, hoping to herself her voice wouldn’t waver. He gave a short nod.

As quickly as he’d appeared, Naruto picked up the pace, stopping only once he was side by side with Kakashi again.

Sakura promptly put the piece of clothing on. It was clearly too big for her, but his warmth embraced her body like nothing else ever had.

_Yes. She definitely needed to think about him. _


	14. Chapter 14

Kakashi and Naruto led them to a small village, only a few kilometers away. 

Despite its reduced size, two buildings could already be seen from a distance; an Inn, and what appeared to be a bar. The first one was painted in dark blue color, and the other was made up of fresh wood, with a huge sign that had obviously been handcrafted, and decorated the front portion of the structure. 

The two constructions faced each other on what appeared to be the main road, as if it  had jumped straight out of one of those  stor ies about a  faraway land,  with heroes and bandits and horses. 

As the group moved, the few people that were outside going about their days stopped and stared at them , adding to that fantasy atmosphere .

S akura was now thankful for the cape Naruto had given her, because her  bright pink hair and usual  clothes with would definitely stick out in this environment , and being recognized was something she needed to avoid at all costs. 

The news about her change of heart did not seem to have spread through the ninja world, though she doubted it would make any difference. The large su m that’d been  offered for whoever returned her to the leaf existed regardless of the side she  took . 

As for the rest of the m , Asuma and Shikamaru had long lost their bright green vests, and Shikamaru had moved his forehead protector so that it would lazily hang from his neck. That, aligned to the burns that covered their arms and Asuma’s left cheek gave them a somewhat carefree, but dangerous  aura , which was  extremely useful . 

Ino and Choji on the other hand still looked pretty much the same as they always had, safe from the scratched-out protectors. It wasn’t nearly enough, and she half expected someone to pick a fight with them as they made their way to the inn, but the size of the group seemed to be keeping all who might want to cause any trouble away. 

Feeling a bit more relaxed  at the thought , Sakura allowed her eyes to wander through the  other  buildings as  they moved closer , being careful not to stay too far behind. 

Shops, a bakery, and even what she thought was a hospital by the red cross on the door colored the scenario, making her feel she was in a regular fire country village, in a mission with sensei and Sasuke-kun.

Sasuke. She couldn’t believe it had taken her so long to think about him. He, much like herself, was enrolled by a complicated family dynamic. The Haruno were proud of their unity as a clan, and protected their own. As that resonated with the Uchiha, as well as their future leadership plans, the two of them shared many of their private lessons. Nevertheless, at their core, what truly defined their clan was the fact they were merchants. Skilled, intelligent shinobi, who would do what was required of them to make the clan prosper. 

When it came to the Uchiha, the most important thing was the bloodline. 

Sakura did not know how things were before the godaime took over for her former teammate; They hadn’t been extremely close, as she and Naruto were best friends, and (she now knew) the Uchiha did not want their child near the Hokage’s. It caused a rivalry between the boys, up until Naruto left. She remembered thinking he was a nice boy, though. Only somewhat shy. 

The Sasuke she met after the coup, however, did not seem to care about her most of the time , or anything else other than honoring his clan for that matter. 

She wondered what he was going to think, once Obito sensei broke  the news  that his future wife was a nukenin on the run with the  jinchuriki , and a group of rogue  ninjas they were taught to hate from childhood . For some reason, the thought made her want to laugh hysterically. 

Barely holding it back, she forced her legs to move ,  distractedly  staring into the buildings until her eyes caught into wide green ones. 

She flinched backwards, ready to dodge whatever it was that person would target her with .

She then stood very still, contemplating the reflection staring back at her. The pink hair, tied with the crossed off headband and Akatsuki cloak closely resembled what she was wearing. Yet, she could not recognize it. 

It seemed she had aged years in only a couple  of  weeks. The woman staring back at her was mature, strong, and albeit terrified,  conveyed danger, and a n underlying confidence in a way Haruno Sakura never  had . 

“Hey, Sakura!” Shikamaru called. He, as well as the rest of the group were standing expectantly at the door of the inn, waiting for her. 

She spared one last look at the woman in the mirror, before running off to catch up with them, a soft smile on her lips. 

* * *

Surprisingly, it was  Kakashi  who  paid for all  of  the ir rooms for the night, with a bag of Ryo  no one was brave enough to  ask  the origins of . That fear only increased when he produced a second bag, this one seemingly fueler than the first, and tossed it into Asuma’s lap, informing him it was for “fashion purposes”. 

“The faster you do that, the better. We don’t want to attract unwanted attention.” He said, casually cleaning his old ANBU blade with a towel he’d found in the bathroom of his and Naruto’s room. 

“On it. And what will you be doing in the meantime?” H e shrugged. 

“I’ll go send a message to my contact. If all goes well, he’ll be here first thing in the morning” 

“And then...?”

Kakashi dropped the towel, and stared at the now shiny blade. Satisfied, he shoved it back where it belonged. 

“Then you and I will go on a very special mission, old friend”  The silver haired shinobi  reached out for the door  knob ,  leaving Asuma,  Choji and Shikamaru with several unasked questions. 

“This guy. What a drag...” Shikamaru annoyedly scratched the back of his head. 

Asuma sighed. 

“No kidding .... Come on. We need to find a store before night falls” 

“Yes sir” both boys replied. 

* * *

“Hmmm” Sakura hummed happily, as she dried her hair with the soft  orangw towel. 

A hot shower and warm bed were a treasure after such a long time in the woods , just as they’d always been when she came home after long term missions .

The hotel  they chose to stay at  was extremely  plain, in a way she’d never known from any of the trips her parents had taken her on growing up. At any other time, the plainness that bordered discomfort would bother her to no end, as the entire purpose of these places was to relax. 

Now, sitting on the creaking bed that smelled a bit like mold, barely illuminated by the obviously worn out lamp on the bedside table, wearing the seemingly clean robe that had been given to her once she checked in, she knew for a fact there was nothing else in the world she needed. 

Well... 

She glanced to the other side of the room, to the empty bed that matched hers to the smallest of details.  Ino had gone out with her sensei a few minutes ago, and Sakura had no clue of when she’d return. 

She  resumed brushing her hair until her forearm hurt from the effort,  and fell back on the bed with a sigh. It was nice to have some privacy again after so long .

“As the future roots that will uphold the leaf, you must always reflect on the best path of growth. Reflecting on your actions and their consequences is essential…”

Sensei’s words echoed on her mind, and they made a lot more sense now. She wasn’t sure of what happened between him and Kakashi-san, but she was sureit was one of the reasons for those words. Sensei regretted his actions, whichever they were. 

Would she regret hers? 

Mad as she was at her teacher, there was truth to his teachings.  Sakura  had very little time to reflect on everything that happened  recently , and she really needed to do that.  Especially given how things escalated. 

The only problem  with that line of thought, is that  her mind seemed to be far less concerned about  the complete sacrifice of her former life and everyone in it,  than it was about…someone.

S akura stretched her arm upwards, until  her fingers brushed against the pillow, and the black and red fabric that laid above it. 

Though she’d  worn  it  for t he entire day, it still smelled like him. 

What was she doing here, exactly? Yes, she wanted to change how things were handled at village she called home , and for that joined the Akatsuki. Th ose actions were something Sakura was completely sure of , much to Obito sensei’s dismay . 

Her relationship with Naruto, however, was a different subject. 

Yes, he seemed to be kind, despite the obvious weight he had to carry his entire life,  even though he did not do  anything wrong at all. 

At least, nothing that would earn the life he had this far. 

Sakura felt for him. He was one of the main reasons she wanted  things to change for .  And it wasn’t as if she wanted him to be a special weapon, or a prize for Konoha either. She didn’t even know if he’d want to live there after all this, and certainly wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. 

There was also Kakashi, and lord fourth to consider. They made the best out of an impossible situation, and Kakashi was only trying to be loyal to the current hokage, and the family he loved so much. 

They did not deserve to die for their actions, as Itachi would certainly order. And of course, their friends from team 10, their sensei, and all the monks from the temple did not deserve such punishment either. 

I mportant as those things were to her , there was  still  something about Naruto that was just… different. 

Sakura shook her head. 

They had been childhood friends, for God’s sake! Of course she felt something more for him than she did for Asuma and Kakashi, for example. The only problem with that, was Ino, Shikamaru and Choji all had that same backstory as him with her. Worse! Unlike her and Naruto, they’d all grown up together. 

And still, what she felt for him was  different. Was it because she thought she lost him all this time, and suddenly got him back?  As a healer, she learned that trauma would definitely affect the way people act . 

But was there more to it? 

The knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. 

“Yes?” She replied, letting go of the cloak  as if it’d burned her,  and sitting up straight.  She reached out with her signature on instinct, but t he person’s chakra did not seem threatening .

It could be cloaked, though. 

An elderly woman’s voice replied. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, sweetie. But your friend paid for the full package, and the afternoon tea is served” 

Oh . She relaxed against the bed. 

“I’ll be right out! Thank you!” She heard the lady’s footsteps  as she slowly  mov ed away, without saying anything in return. 

S akura didn’t really feel like going at the moment, but refusing food was not exactly a privilege she had  anymore. 

The fact she ever could was now embarrassing to her. 

The kunoichi ran a hand through her hair , fixing up the bits that had stuck out due to lying down. Unsatisfied, she reached out for her hairbrush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you guys probably noticed, I updated the chapter count. “Renegade heroes” as a fic is completely written, and divided into chapters now. The reason I’m not posting it as a whole instead of weekly chapters is that I like reviewing the chapters and adding new things, (or just making them look more cohesive, if anything). I’ve revised them up ‘til chapter 19 so far, so we still have a bit to go. 
> 
> I also added a little illustration on chapter 1, if you guys want to check it out. Art was never my strength, but I know a little of how to work with photoshop. Hope you like it ;)
> 
> As far as these short, peaceful moments go, you should enjoy them. They’ll be over soon.


	15. Chapter 15

_ Sakura felt anxious.  _

_ Usually, whenever she and Naruto would play after school, it would happen at her house. That was because his dad was always working, and mommy didn’t like the idea of her and Naruto being alone, though Sakura already told her Naruto didn’t have any issue with it.  _

_ Are you bringing the  hokage’s boy with you after school, sweetheart?” Mommy asked, a certain anxiety in her voice Sakura never understood as a kid.  _

_ The little girl shook her head.  _

_ “Naruto’s daddy is going to pick us up” A million expressions passed through her mother’s face, before settling down on happiness.  _

_ “I see. Well, I hope you two have lots of fun” Her smile was far too wide.  _

_ “Me too, mommy” _

_ But Sakura herself wasn’t so sure about it.  Naruto would speak a lot about his daddy, but she never actually met him, or anyone else from Naruto’s family, for that matter. _

_ What if he didn’t like her? What if he didn’t let her play with Naruto anymore? _

_ Her heart pounded on her chest.  _

* * *

“_He’ll be here soon” Naruto commented, voice filled with excitement as he cradled his bright orange backpack._

_”are you sure it’s okay?” She asked, nervously squeezing the edge of her dress. “What if your dad gets mad?”_

  
_“No! I know because dad loves it when I make friends. Besides, you’re cool! He’s going to be happy!” Naruto insisted, offering her an excited smile. _

_Her friend really loved his daddy. It was alright, because she did too, even if her dad was weird sometimes. His excitement actually made her a bit calmer. His daddy was nice. He wouldn’t be mean to her if she behaved. And she really would! _

.

.

_ The post school afternoon sky turned orange. One by one, the other kids left, followed by their family members, until it was just the two of them. Then, the red sky started getting darker. She should go home soon.  _

_Sakura was about to offer Naruto to come home with her for dinner, when a mysterious man with silver hair appeared. _

_  
He wore light gray clothes, and a dog mask covered his face. Sakura felt a shiver go up her spine. _

_   
“Dad isn’t coming, is he?” Naruto asked, seemingly not worried at all by the man’s presence.   
_

_   
Was he part of Naruto’s family?   
_

_   
The masked  man shook his head once, confirming Naruto’s suspicious. The boy looked down.  _

_ “Why…” He clenched his fists. “Why is he never around when I need him to be? it’s NOT FAIR!” Naruto’s tearful squeal made Sakura’s own eyes fill with tears. _

_   
“Hokage- sama is working really hard to make the village better for everyone.” The masked man replied, actually sounding more like a boy than a man. “And that means you too”  _

_ Naruto did not reply, nor did he gaze back up from the green grass beneath his feet.   
  
_

_ “It’s okay.” She offered, reaching for his arm. “I can meet him later. You and I are still going to be friends, right?”   
  
_

_ Naruto did not lean into her touch, or face her. It only took a few seconds for him to unclench his fists, though.   
  
_

_ “...yes.” The dog-man took advantage of that.  _

_ “Come on. I’ll take you two home” _

* * *

The smell of freshly baked fortune cookies reached Sakura’s nostrils the second she  walked into the common area. To her surprise, two people from her group were already in the room. 

Sakura’s  eyes fell on  the  blonde-haired boy sitting next to Shikamaru . 

“Oi, Naruto. Listen” The Nara’s awkward tone reverberated through, bringing a smile to her face. Her friend was now wearing a black vest, and a new pair of paints to match. The clothes were discrete, and fit the description of what a nukenin should look like at the same time. As always, Shikamaru was through with the details. 

“Yeah?” The freshly bathed blonde  looked at him, seemingly half confused and half curious. Somehow , the sight of those deep blue eyes seemed to make the other shinobi even more nervous. 

“Do y-you remember when we were kids, and I uh…”

“…Made fun of my whiskers?”  Naruto perked an eyebrow.

Shikamaru almost fell off of the chair at the statement.

“No! And uh. Those guys were dicks anyway. But I sort of kept my distance” Naruto shrugged.

“M ost of the kids did that ” 

“I guess so… What a drag.” He shook his head almost comically. “Anyway, I’m sorry for that, you know? You’re  kinda cool. And I wish we had become friends sooner” 

Sakura’s breath caught on her throat.

After a second, Naruto smiled shyly.

“Yeah. Me too”

“ Hi boys!” Sakura called, waving her arm as she walked towards them. 

“Oi, Sakura. Good to see you” Relief was evident on Shikamaru’s expression. She almost rolled her eyes. 

  
_ Boys… _

Naruto on the other hand seemed like he’d just seen a ghost.

“So, is the food any good?” She asked , pointing to the half empty plate that sat on the table in front of them . 

“Yeah! The  senbei is delicious. As is the  daifuku ” Shikamaru added. “Come on, take a seat” Following his advice, Sakura spoon around the table, so that she could sit across from the duo . 

Despite the simplicity of the inn, the center of the table was covered with several servings for her to choose from.  Indeed, the food looked absolutely delicious. 

“ I thought you had gone shopping with  Ino , Sakura - chan ” Naruto  commented , as she filled up her plate.

“Nah, sadly  Ino -pig did not invite me. What is she still doing out anyway? Since you are back?” Shikamaru shrugged. 

“She said something about doing something to her hair. Asuma sensei had to escort her to it” Sakura facepalmed.

“We become nukenin and the first thing she does is worry about her hair? How very  Ino of her.”  Shikamaru laughed. 

“I guess so” 

Naruto watched the conversation unfold silently beside Shikamaru , clearly un easy about something .  Sakura wasn’t sure why, but th e realization left a bad feeling at the pit or her stomach.

_ Why did she care this much? _

“So, Naruto.  Can you tell us more ?” The question seemed to catch him off guard, and he  furrowed his brows . 

“ About w hat?” 

“ The  akatsuki . ” She clarified, not bothering to hide the curiosity in her voce. 

  
“Since we’re all part of it now, might as well learn more.” Shikamaru added. “Dammit, being part of a so-called terrorist organization probably isn’t easy”

Naruto’s expression  shifted, as if he was trying to find the right words.

“It isn’t. But what we’re doing is important, dattebayo.” 

“And what is that, exactly?”  Shimakaru ’s interest was evident. Sakura hoped Naruto wouldn’t misinterpret it; Even from a young age, her friend was  always  great at  analyzing and investigating things, and this wasn’t different .

Naruto inhaled deeply. 

“When I was younger, my father used to talk about the future he wanted for the leaf. He wanted it  to be a place of peace, and equality for everyone , and that was why he decided to be the hokage”

The way he spoke about it beaming with pride was new to Sakura.  Minato was apparently as absent as she remembered him to be, but the circumstances seemed to have brought the duo together. 

“That’s not what has been happening since the Uchiha took over. As a matter of fact, from what we hear, it’s the opposite.” 

Sakura and Shikamaru stared at each other briefly .

Naruto was not wrong. The Konoha from her childhood was very different from the one she left behind a few weeks ago. And she was the daughter of one of the men responsible for it. 

“It’s why my dad started the Akatsuki. To change things, and make them better. We want… the leaf to be a place the children that live there can be proud of”The boy trailed off in the last sentence, as if too caught up in his own thoughts for a second. 

“ A future the children can be proud of ” sounded like a version of Konoha she could agree with, and help to build. The fact this group had informants in Konoha was also not lost in her; If the citizens of the leaf were willing to  challenge Itachi and  fight for the cause, it w as the sign she needed that change was not only necessary, but inevitable. 

“We will help you get there” She said, confidently. Naruto’s mouth hung slightly open. 

“Sakura- chan ” She offered him a smile.

“That’s what friends are for, right?” And at that, she nudged  Shikamaru’s side with her elbow. It only took him a second to understand. 

“Right.” He added, before placing his hand on top of hers.

“For the leaf” He added. 

“For the leaf”  She mimicked the gesture.

The duo stared at  Naruto expectantly.

The renegade’s eyes glazed for a second, before a familiar  resolve lit up inside them. He looked at Shikamaru, and then at Sakur a, before slowly stretching his arm out. 

“For the leaf”

* * *

  
“Alright kids, so here’s what’s going to happen” Kakashi stared at the group of barely awake teenagers in front of him. Asuma stood by his side, a cigarette in hands. His fourth one that morning.

It was still very early  in the day , and the fog of the cold night was still slowly  rising back to the  cloudy  sky, leaving  only  a trail of wet grass  as clues of its presence. 

The village stood far behind them, almost too far to be seen, if it was not for the lights coming from the tall building they’d spent the night in. 

Ino yawned loudly “ I f I knew we were going to be out this early , I would have only  bought new clothes” She pulled at her new dark blue sweatshirt, as if to illustrate. 

The fabric  came with a pair of worn out black pants, that matched perfectly with her n ow black hair , safe from the lock that would fall over her left eye, which was now blue. 

“The blonde hair is the brand of the Yamanaka clan” She told Sakura, once shefinally arrived at their shared room. “This will make it harder for them to identify us”

“That’s what you get for worrying about your beauty at a time like this -“

“ Shhhh ” Asuma hissed, c utting his nephew off.  After a few grumbling noises, the group  settled down. 

“As I was saying, I have an informant back at the leaf village. Me and Asuma will head back to the land of fire and contact them. In the  meantime … ” His  tired eye  wandered over to Naruto’s almost sleeping form.

“Naruto will be in charge of the group” That seemed to wake the boy up completely.

“ What?! ” 

“ And  Shikamaru as well ”  Asuma added.  The other boy  bowed his head respectfully.

“ Alright.” 

The teenagers exchanged a few worried glances in between themselves, but remained quiet. 

“However, because we don’t trust either one of you not to ge t curious and come running after us straight into dangerous territory, we figured we’d leave a third person in charge. ”

The fog seemed to get thicker instantly at his words. Asuma inhaled half a cigaret t e in seconds. 

Eventually,  two chakra signatures unveiled themselves, and  from the mist emerged two men.  The first o ne was tall, and clearly older. He had bandages around his face, and the  renegaded  mist headband hung awkwardly on his head , much like a cheap copy of Kakashi. 

The second  of them  was a lot younger. He seemed to be barely older than them, and had very soft features . 

What caught the teenager’s attention however, was the size of the blade that hung on the older one’s back, and the threatening look on his face. 

“I realize I said “ anything ” on our agreement, but you have really outdone yourself now, Hatake” His  deep voice and  harsh tone matched perfectly with his murderous chakra signature. 

Kakashi did not seem to mind in the slightest. 

“ Maaa , it will only be for a couple days anyway. And besides, afterwards  we’ll be even, and you’ll be free ” The  mysterious man moved to st and next to him, and if looks could kill the ex jounin would already be six feet under. 

“Everyone, this is Momochi Zabuza. The demon of the hidden mist” 

Zabuza crossed his arms against his chest. 

  
Asuma let out a poof of white smoke. 

  
Naruto tilted his head. 

  
The corners of Kakashi’s eye crinkled. 

“He’ll be escorting you for the next few days”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s get the plot going, shall we?


	16. Chapter 16

“Of all the bad ideas you ever had,  this  certainly takes the prize” Asuma  turned his face to the empty forest  behind them  for the thousandth time, as if he’d somehow  be able to  see the children  they left behind in another country.

“Eh, they will be fine. And besides, now that we are alone, we will be able to make it to the leaf and back in a very short time” It was true. Though it had only been forty-eight hours since they left the kids, the two men were only a couple of hours away from Konoha at most. 

“Still… leaving them alone with that man…” He was sure that if the five teenagers had to, they would somehow find their way to escape the highly dangerous nukenin. His team was resourceful, and Sakura had the best teachers available in the leaf at her disposal growing up. He also really doubted Kakashi of all people would neglect Naruto’s training. 

H is nephew  however,  was a different story. 

“ Zabuza has a lifetime debt to pay with me over something that happened a  few  years ago. He won’t break his  vow .” The security in which those words came out of the copy ninja’s mouth were almost hilarious to  the Sarutobi . 

“And you know that  how ?”

Kakashi took a sharp turn left, bouncing off two trees to do so.  Finally, he allowed himself to look back at back to Asuma.

“ Zabuza was part of the hidden mist ANBU. Those shinobi are bound by a code of loyalty unlike any other. One that is carved into their skins”

Asuma’s eyes trailed to Kakashi’s left shoulder. 

“Like your tattoo?” The man nodded. 

“But in their case, the ink is bound to their vital points of chakra. Should any of them break an oath, it activates, and well… It’s the last thing he will ever do” 

Asuma took the hint. 

“I see”  And here he was, thinking his father’s ANBU had it rough. 

“Your nephew is strong. He reminds me of Naruto when he was younger”

“Hmm. He doesn’t have a demon fox to protect him from harm, though” 

“He doesn’t seem to need one. You taught him well” Asuma hated how those words actually did make him relax somewhat. 

“As you did Naruto” 

Kakashi tilted his head up in  acknowledgement . 

* * *

“ Sooo ,  Zabuza -san” The yellow haired boy started for the eleventh time in the past hour.

“What is it now,  jinchuriki brat?” 

“How do you and  nii -san know each other?”  Zabuza really did not have the time for this; He was already behind schedule  when Kakashi had contacted him, and now with five children added to the group, it would be a miracle if he could get anything done. 

“Right. Listen here. What went on between Hatake Kakashi and I is our business. I was caught up on a tight spot, and he helped me. Which is why I’m helping him now. End. of. story.” The pointed way in which the last part was saidwas a blatant cue to drop the subject. 

The brat remained silent.  _ Finally.  _

“But… what kind of trouble Zabuza-sama?” Asked the pink haired girl. 

“Yeah, I want to know too, actually.” Spiked hair asked. 

“Oh look. The sight here is so beautiful” Emo girl s quealed, making his ears hurt. 

“ Yoo , I haven’t had anything to eat in hours. When is our next lunch break?”

That was it .  Zabuza tightened his grip on the sword…

Haku’s hand wrapped around his wrist. He shot the kid an incredulous look. 

“ I trust  Zabuza-sama recalls the reason we couldn’t simply attack the businessman?” _What kind of question was that? _ Of course he did! It was because they didn’t have enough \- 

_ Oh. _

“Haku?” The boy let go of his arm. “You are a genius” 

Zabuza spun around on his feet . For the first time, the incessant chatter stopped. 

“Listen up, brats. I have a challenge for you”

* * *

As it turned out, getting to Konoha was no simple task, even for two  full-fledged (former) jounin.  Asuma never knew how much Itachi had indeed turned the village into a powerful military organization, and the extensive security actually explained why no one had attempted to overthrow him, even with the political crisis caused by the Haruno situation. 

When they did finally reach the surroundings of the village, both men sighed in relief. 

“This intel of yours? It better be good” Said Asuma.

Kakashi agreed wholeheartedly. 

It’d been a while since he came so close to Konoha. Up ahead for one or two more miles, and they’d be able to see the gates. Beyond that, the Hokage stone, and his  childhood  home. 

They would never make it that far, though. 

Around ten minutes after they arrived at the intended location, the leaves of the bushes behind them begun waving rather loudly. 

Asuma reached for his brass knuckles, allowing them to fill up with chakra, and Kakashi absently touched his sword. 

From behind the bushes came, no, more like  _flew_ a tall man in a green jumpsuit. He spun in the air a couple times, before landing on his feet in front of the duo. 

He flashed his bright white teeth at them. 

“How are you doing,  Kakashi- _ Asuma_?” 

“Wait.  _ He _ is the informant?” Kakashi shrugged. 

“There’s no one in Konoha I trust more than him.”

“ Aaah my eternal rival! How much have I missed you!”  Gai wrapped his arms around Kakashi ’s shoulders, rubbing his snot filled nose and tears that were running down freely from his eyes on the other man’s chest.

“R-right.” Murmured Asuma.  After so long in the temple, h e’d forgotten how eccentric the other man was. 

“ I thought you guys wouldn’t make it here. Hokage- sama has been sending patrol after patrol to find you . But alas! Just what you’d expect from my rival”

The two renegades eyed each other. 

“Why is he so set on finding us, anyway?” 

“Well. After Obito-san returned to the village with the news of what had happened to the fire temple, the feudal lord came to the village.” Asuma gasped. 

“The feudal lord?” Gai nodded once. 

“He spent the entire day at hokage- sama’s office. My spying skills were not enough to discover what he said, but when he left, he seemed furious.” 

“He probably threatened to depose him if he doesn’t find us. But the leaf is a military potency, and I’d say one strong enough to stage a coup” Kakashi’s tone was low, almost if he was only thinking out loud. 

“ So he tells the feudal lord that, and  our highness leaves in anger that  his wishes were completely squashed.” Asuma completed. “ But letting renegades run amok through  t his country only really shows the leaf is weak to the other villages. ”

“ Exactly . Capturing us must be the highest of priorities. Aside from getting rid of his enemies, and recovering the Haruno heir, he’d have a  jinchuriki all for himself” 

“Speaking of that, how is Naruto doing?” Gai asked, worriedly. 

“Safe. By the way, is Tenzo… ” Ga i’s expression softened.

“Alive, as far as I know.  He and the rest of your team are facing all sorts of punishments though” 

Kakashi did his best not to shrink on himself. 

“ I see… ”

“ Anyhow, I hope you can end this war, and come home. It’s a bit lonely out here without both of you”  The confession brightened up the mood, if only slightly.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back eating  dango with you soon” Asuma ’s carefree tone almost made them believe it. 

_ Hopefully Minato-sensei would give the order soon.  _

Gai’s expression darkened. 

“Well… I should go back. The ANBU is keeping close tabs on everyone that leaves the village for a ny period of time, and that’s especially true for ones that are not on missions . I wish I could have more information for you, though” Kakashi shook his head.

“You’ve done enough. Thank you, old friend” That made Gai’s eyes fill up with tears again, but this time he held them back. 

“You’re welcome… rival” 

  
The duo was famous for understanding each other without saying a word, and this seemed to be no different. A thousand words were said in a single stare. Then, they broke eye contact, and Gai flexed his thighs, preparing himself to jump back where he’d come from. 

“Wait…. I need to know. How’s  Kurenai doing?” Asuma shoved his hands in his pockets.  He couldn’t imagine how hurt or worried she felt once she heard the news. He would have to make it up for her somehow.

Gai’s cheerful expression fell immediately. 

Asuma’s chest got filled with dread.

“She’s… fine, you know. Her spring of youth has never burned brighter” 

“Oh.” Asuma let out, unable to hold back the relief. It turned into annoyance very quickly though. “Then  why…?”

The other man scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 

“I hate to be the one telling you this, Asuma. You’re a great man, and you’d definitely make an amazing husband to her. It’s just…”

“What is it?” He demanded, not caring about how harsh he was being for once. 

Gai’s black eyes bore into his. 

“ Kurenai’s pregnant. With  Umino Iruka’s child”

* * *

“ So let me see if I got this straight” Shikamar u started, hovering a stick over the drawings on the muddy ground in front of him. 

“ Gato is a very powerful, very dangerous businessman from the land of waves, who’s destroying many people’s lives. And you want us to invade his mansion, and steal a part of his fortune?”  Zabuza nodded eagerly. 

“That’s pretty much it”

“ It what? Suicide?”  Ino lifted her upper body so that her eyes could see past the huge boulder they were all crouched behind of. A  three-floor mansion stood  straight ahead , with tall fences and two guards positioned at the gate. There were obviously more inside , though.

“We can’t do this. There’s no way”

“You’re right. A bunch of brats like you could never make it on your own. But that’s why I’m here. If you follow the instructions properly, the treasure will definitely be mine” His hands moved frantically in an effort to convince them of it. 

Naruto peeked over the boulder.  He  had grown unusually serious ever since Kakashi left him in charge, which was some what relieving to Shikamaru . He did know how to behave when he had to . 

“This doesn’t sound too hard. Kaka shi -sensei and I  have done worse”

Shikamaru sucked in a breath. 

“Still, are you sure this is ok,  nii-chan ? I don’t want us to get in trouble”  Konohamaru’s words did not reflect the obvious excitement on his face , however clouded . 

Shikamaru tried to ignore the jealousy that went up his spine at the fact the comment was directed at  Konohamaru’s newest friend , as the blonde  placed his left hand on  the younger boy’s shoulder. 

“ For sure . I was younger than you when I started doing missions like this. You’ll be fine.” The words were definitely reassuring to the boy, and the clouds in his eyes faded away entirely. 

“He may be okay with that, but I’m not. It’s way too dangerous.” Shikamaru blurted out, hoping to build some sense into the group. 

“But Shikamaru  nii -“

“ Naruto grew up as a nukenin, and I understand this sort of situation being easy, even common for him . But we are not like that. Especially you, Konohamaru. You are only barely a  genin ”

The words led to a world of hurt in the younger boy’s expression, and one Shikamaru regrette d. Still, Asuma left him in charge for a reason. He had to act accordingly. 

“I ’l l take care of him for you” Haku offered, softly . “You need someone to stay outside and provide backup only if necessary. He can stay with me” 

Th at simple reasoning somehow broke any and all arguments Shikamaru could come up with to convince the rest of the group , and he knew it . 

The shinobi opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out.

Dammit. 

“Oi, Shikamaru. I don’t think it will be that bad”  Choji said, in between munching the bag of chips they had  borrowed  earlier. “Naruto and the others have experience with this” 

“Yeah” Sakura agreed. “And aren’t we all nukenin now? We could definitely use this to practice for the Konoha invasion” 

Shikamaru stared at them both in disbelief , before searching for  Ino’s help. 

She looked away. 

“I know you think it’s a lot, dattebayo” Naruto started, in a clear effort to be reassuring .  “ But don’t worry, I’ll protect you with my life. That’s  nii -san’s ninja way, and he passed it on to me”

He stretched his arm out, tightening his fingers into a fist. 

All eyes were on him now. Shikamaru sighed , bu t lifted his arm . 

“Troublesome... ”

* * *

As with any invasion  plan, the group of shinobi had to wait until it was late night before acting. As this was no random adventure, the renegade shinobi knew everything about the house’s daily routine, including the shift changes for the guards, and their habits.

The information allowed them to understand which would be the best time to break in, which happened to be just a little over midnight, when the guards who’d arrived at 6pm would start getting bored of the nothingness that made up their time there, and the sleepiness that would also begin creeping up, making them slower. 

At the exact time,  Zabuza summoned a very thick mist, that slowly took over the region , allowing Naruto and the others to hop over the wall, and through the garden without running into any trouble.

Once inside, guided by Shikamaru, the trio took 20 large steps forward, until they came in touch with one of the walls of the actual building. Once that happened, the shinobi immediately took advantage of the side wall, using it as guidance. 

The plan in itself was very simple. Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru would go inside, and locate the treasure room. Once that happened, Shikamaru would use his shadow possession jutsu to open the door from the inside, and voilá! All they had to do was take as much as possible, before escaping again with the help of Sakura’s great chakra sensitivity in order to locate and escape from the enemies unscratched. 

If they happened to run into any trouble, an alarm would ring, alerting all the guards of their presence. If that was the case, Zabuza, Ino and Choji would create a diversion. And if that failed, then Haku would spring into action, with Konohamaru close at his side. 

Needless to say, they couldn’t be caught on any hypothesis. 

Naruto and the others slid against the wall until they found what seemed to be the back door to the house . As expected, the guard that should be keeping careful watch over it was fast asleep. 

It only took a few seconds for the Uzumaki to unlock it, and turn the handle. 

“Wait” Whispered Sakura. With the best of her control, she summoned as much chakra as she could to her ears, and nose . 

She let her left cheek rest against the door. 

Nothing. 

It did seem they were completely alone. 

“Okay. Let’s go” 

* * *

Gato’s mansion was, as expected for that hour of the night , in complete darkness .  Naruto  felt it when the chakra inside of him  reacted to the  blackness  and  immediate  danger,  causing his nails and teeth to  painfully  grow, and his eyes glow red , effectively giving him night vision. 

It seemed the room through which they entered the house was the laundry room. The sheer size of it alone resembled the one of the houses a huge part of the fire country’s population lived in. 

In the space that would otherwise fit entire families and their belongings, t wo washing machines dutifully worked to clean the clothes, and aside from two or three different sinks on the right-side wall, t he huge room was empty .

Rich people… He mentally rolled his eyes. He would not feel sorry for this theft. 

“This way”  Naruto called, not bothering t oo much with his tone thanks to the noise from the machines , as he swiftly made his way to the  only other door in the room. 

_ Okay. Now Sakura  chan only has to check for enemies, and we’re clear.  _

On that note, Naruto glanced in Sakura’s direction , not missing the  surprise  in her face as he did so . 

It was gone as quickly as it’d appeared, however, and  she  became focused on the task at hand. 

“We’re clear” She  stated again , and he placed his hand on the handle. 

“Don’t worry, Sakura-chan. I’m not going to let it hurt you”

Sakura  considered his  words. 

“I know”

** DON’T BE SO CONVINCED, BRAT! I AM FAR STRONGER THAN YOU. **

Naruto turned the knob , being careful as not to let the door creak.

_ Shut up,  Kyuubi .  _

* * *

The only sound as the two shinobi darted through the forest was that of the crickets and nightly birds. At this rate, they would be back in the land of waves within the next 24 hours. 

Asuma had not uttered a single word ever since Gai told him the news. He also had refused to stop for rest the both times Kakashi had commented on doing  so, which  despite being just fine for the ANBU trained nukenin, w as definitely takin  its toll on the other man. 

Still, Kakashi had no idea what to say to  him .  Yes, he’d lost loved ones, and even a girl who held romantic interest for him, but  he  never had to experience anything like  this . 

“Asuma…”

“Don’t, Kakashi. I mean it.” The  warning was more than enough for the subject to be dropped entirely. 

“We will be out of the land of fire soon” 

“Good.” Bitterness and relief bled all over that word. “And when we do, tell your sensei that I’m in on his plan. Whatever it is. I will do it” 

Kakashi stared at the other man for a long moment. 

“Okay” 

He just hoped the teenagers were having a better time than they  were. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In trying to keep Konoha as a respected, well-named village, Lord Fifth passed on many rules, and solidified pre-existing ones. As with all the previous Hokage, it is extremely important for leaf shinobi to memorize those rules, for the sake of enforcing them if necessary. As the threat of nukenin became one of the main issues during Lord fifth’s rule, it was particularly important to memorize the entries that addressed them, such as: 
> 
> “I- It is expressly forbidden for the shinobi of the leaf village (both in active duty and retired) to contact, aid, or support nukenin in whichever way, being the trespassers eligible for the death penalty, to be decided by the Hokage. II- The same principle applies to having personal relationships with those criminals. III- Should a traitor leave behind pre existing family ties, such as siblings, parents and children, those will not suffer the consequences of the traitor’s actions, provided they abide by the Hokage’s rule. IV- In the case those ties are established post defection (such as unborn children, or living children who ended up being discovered post birth), the leaf shinobi that committed such treason, as well as the child that came from such act must be terminated on sight.”


	17. Chapter 17

_Gato’s mansion was huge._

Yes, they had a notion  of that  fact  from  seeing  the outside, but now that they were actually going through  it room by room , it seemed to be twice of what they ’d previously expected. 

Another thing that threw them off was the lack of guards. Anyone in their right mind would believe this to be a trap, wasn’t it for  the amount of movement detectors, alternated with occasional cameras  that  slow ed down their progress . 

Shikamaru glanced at a clock that sat on the living room’s back wall. 3:35. 

The guard shift change happened at 5 o’clock sharp, and the morning guards were a lot more active, no doubt. As it was, Zabuza would also not be able to maintain that amount of thick fog forever, and even if he did hold out, the sight of thick fog in the morning would be extremely suspicious. 

_ In short, they needed to  move faster _

* * *

“The first and second floors are clear” Shikamaru stated, once he came out of the last room in the left corridor. 

“Yep” Naruto agreed, from the same position in the opposite side. 

With only one floor left to check, the group  r ushedly moved their legs up the stairs, jumping over the last step to avoid yet another detector. 

“Seriously. Just how many of these does this guy need?” Sakura complained , feeling a bit lightheaded from chakra exhaustion as she reached  for the first door.

And she stopped .

The huge chandelier, far too expensive for any sort of environment hung above a luxurious bed, completely ornamented in gold. A small figure laid on top of it, wrapped by what  appeared to be a fur blanket. They were snoring softly. 

The realization made Sakura’s  ears pound along with her chest , and she immediately let the door slide shut. 

“He’s in here” she mouthed, pointing at the door.  Her friend’s eyes widened, and  together, they snuck away from it, skipping three doors before trying another one. 

_ It was locked.  _

The  trio exchanged glances, before Shikamaru  carefully  dropped to his knees. 

All the curtains were open in this floor, allowing the moonlight to softly bathe the  corridor . The shadow slid from  Shikamaru’s feet, through the small space between the door and the carpet. 

The lock clicked open loudly.

Suddenly taken by adrenaline, the trio rushed inside,  mking sure the door closed softly behind them. 

“Wow” Naruto whispered . 

And there was really no other way to describe it. 

Gold. Everywhere. Bars, built into pyramid shapes that went all the way up to the ceiling, contrasted with a sea of coins that almost blocked the door. There was more money here than any of them could ever imagine possible. And all taken from ripping off the poor.

“Let’s get to work” Sakura whispered back, gently, pulling both boys from their stupor.

She opened her backpack, crouching down to collect as much as possible, and they did the same. 

The lock clicked open once more.

* * *

Gato’s half asleep figure stared at his untouched fortune with pride. With as much as he had now, he could live a very comfortable life for  as long as it turned out to be , without having to do anything else. But that was not him. 

_There was always space for more_ , he reminded himself. And there _would_ be more, soon. He’d already  charged off  all debt in  the community down south for the month, but his men would be visiting the one up north within the week. The thought pleased him. 

This world was made up of money. Everything depended on it, and everything could be bought with it. _ If he knew how to make more of it, what fault did he have? _

Sometimes unwarned fools would try to steal what was his by right. No one had ever succeeded, however, as his money also happened to buy the best security system available. 

So,  when he thought he’d heard this door being open ed without his presence , he  had to  c o me in running to secure his treasure. Nevertheless, there was nothing missing. 

_ It was probably a dream.  _ He reasoned, looking around the empty room one last time, before turning around.   


He should head back to bed soon. Tomorrow, he and his crew were scheduled to mak e deals with the community in the east , where a great flood had destroyed their food resources. 

It was an opportunity he could not miss. 

The door clicked shut behind him, and he reinserted the code  twice  just to be sure, before heading back into his own bedroom,  and  closing the door behind him. 

* * *

They weren’t sure of how much time passed with them crouched behind the piles of gold. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours. All they knew was their knees were sore from kneeling on top of golden coins.

Eventually, though, the shinobi decided it was safe, and returned to their feet. 

“We have more than enough” Shikamaru said, holding out his entirely full bag.

“I agree” Replied Sakura. 

Luckily enough, the room had a window , which led to a steep balcony. Naruto pushed the window up, not bothering too much with the loud noise it made. 

“Let’s go!” He shouted.  Sakura and Shikamaru did not have to be told twice.

By the time the alarms begun ringing, the  mansion was already far behind them, hidden in the dense mist. 

* * *

Hidden amongst the lost parts of the poverty-stricken country, there was a single roadside restaurant. Though it’s simple look may deceive you at first, the warm fireplace and absolutely delicious bowl of ramen would definitely make your head turn. 

The tinkling sound of  cups connec ting with each other  was heard,  before the sweet drink made  its way down the group’s throats. 

“I told you guys it would be easy!” Naruto grinned , placing both of his arms behind his head .

“You’re amazing, Naruto  nii-chan !” Konohamaru  agreed, practically bouncing off his chair with excitement.

“Oi, I was there too, you know” Shikamaru  whined , putting some of the pasta in his mouth .

After  all  the difficulties they’d faced in that mission , there was nothing fairer than  Zabuza using at least one of the gold bars they’d stolen to pay them all a good dinner. He was adamant about saving most of the money (_something about a bridge somewhere_), but had reluctantly agreed to it. 

Naruto chugg ed the warm liquid down all in one go. 

“Another one, please!” He  said, to no one in particular,  lift ing what was now the third empty bowl. 

“What a delightful appetite!”  Choji commented, proceeding to mimic Naruto’s actions. 

“No kidding. I didn’t know you liked ramen that much” Sakura said, amusedly. 

“It’s my favorite dish” He replied, gladly taking  another full bowl from the waitress. 

“Thank you!” 

“I ’ll  have to  take you to eat at  Ichiraku’s sometime” She commented, so casually she did not notice the weight of her words until after they were said.

The blush that took over Naruto’s cheeks would have been hilarious if it was not mirrored in hers. 

“Well… I think we’re all done here”  Ino’s fake laughter cut through the awkward silence , a nd she took both her teammates by the arm. 

“Y -y eah… I  kinda need some sleep after that whole thing. Come on, Konohamaru” Shikamaru took the boy’s hand, who slid out of his seat obediently. 

“Goodnight, Naruto  nii-chan ! Sakura- chan !” He waved happily, as he was dragged away, leaving only the two of them at the table. 

_ Sakura was going to kill  Ino for this. _

“What you did earlier, that was pretty cool” Sakura’s brain barely registered the words. 

“What?”

“With your chakra. Using it to heighten your senses. I didn’t know anyone could do that” He clarified. 

“Oh, that. My clan is known for having great chakra control. It was nothing, really” She  shrugged  awkwardly. 

Naruto didn’t seem to mind. 

“Well, I think it’s pretty cool. You’ ve grown up into  a great  ninja , Sakura- chan ” The honesty in his words caught her by surprise . He really believed that.

_ Wait. _

_Grown_ into?

“ I guess it’s true ”  She  agreed. “A lot changed since when we were kids and at the academy”

“Yeah. Things really -“ The realization of what he’d just done knocked the air out of his lungs, and made him choke on the ramen noodles. 

“ So you_ did_ remember me.  All this time”  Her anger was palpable . 

“Sakura-chan-” 

“No, you listen. Ever since this started, I learned almost everyone I loved has been lying to me for my entire life. And now, it turned out you did it too.” She let the hurt bleed all over the words. 

Naruto opened his mouth. 

“If you’re going to make excuses up, don’t bother. It’s obvious I can’t trust you either, so I’ll just gather my belongings and leave” 

His deep blue eyes melted in on hers, as if looking for any hesitance._ There was none. _ She w as strong enough to follow through with her threats , and they both knew it. 

Resigned, Naruto turned back to  the bowl of ramen, and his eyes glassed. 

“ I  thought you were going leave” 

The words were so low she barely caught them.

“What?” She allowed herself to lean a bit closer to him. 

“After you healed me, I was sure you were going to leave. Yes, we were childhood friends, but so much time passed, and so many things changed. Yo u’ re even engaged to Sasuke now” Sakura relented.

“And then you learned what I was, and you didn’t run away, but I know it still scares you to an extent.”

Shame burned away at her cheeks. His eyes hardened. 

“Don’t worry about it. Everyone is afraid of my powers. That I will lose control someday. Even  nii -san, though he tries to hide it” 

“Well, we shouldn’t be. ” She started, breaking his speech off. “ Ever since we met, you’ve done nothing but protect me. It’s not fair to treat you like a bomb that can go off at any second”  She gripped the edge of the table so tightly it creaked.

“I’m sorry for that” She said, truthfully.

He gave one short nod. 

“ Aside from that, there was also Konoha”  She frowned.

“What about them?”

“ I’m sure you miss them. Your parents, your friends… your life.  There was no way you were going to choose  this  over that , even if we were close all those years ago ” He moved his arm, showing around the decaying restaurant as if to illustrate what he meant. 

“So, I lied. To make it less painful to myself, when you did go away, but…no matter how many chances you got to leave… you didn’t” Sakura’s breath caught in her throat. It was the first time he was this honest with her about anything, and now that the wall was breached, the words would not stop flowing.

“I know you want to make your village a better place, and you believe this is the way to do it . You’re strong, and independent, and I  love all that about you, it’s just…” His intense rambling came to a halt. 

He looked at her, reaching for  some sort of  recognition .  Sakura wasn’t sure of what he saw, but he was now filled with resolve. 

““I’m sorry for lying to you. I understand if you can’t forgive me after everything that you went through since we met, and if you still want to leave, I won’t stop you. But still, if you can, please….” He never finished that sentence.

Didn’t have to.

Sakura  wrapped her arm around him, and pulled him closer. 

He did not resist. 

“I’m not going anywhere ”  Two teardrops landed on the table beneath her. 

It was then she realized she was crying.   


* * *

Kakashi and Asuma were standing outside a three-star hotel in a mildly famous city  the following morning. The men gave Shikamaru and Naruto suspicious glances, but  neither boy  said  a thing as the  rest of the  group gathered outside .

Amongst them was a taller, dark-haired man. 

“The kids were watched, and returned safely.”  Zabuza’s hand rested on his blade out of what could only be habit. Next to him, Haku smiled warmly. 

“I thank you in  Zabuza-sama’s name, for finally allowing him to be free of this debt” 

“Indeed” replied Kakashi. “It would seem your debt to me  has been  finally paid . There’s no need to mention it, though. ” 

The news couldn’t have been better to  Zabuza , really. For years, he’d whine to no end through countless ill-mannered letters about that exact situation , and watching a group of children was no doubt an extremely boring chore for the one who was otherwise known as the assassin of the mist. 

Which was why when  said man stretched his fist out to Naruto, who warmly returned the gesture, Kakashi was at a complete loss of words. 

“Try not to get in too much trouble, will you brat?” The annoyed, too-cool-for-this tone made Naruto  snort. 

“You too” 

“Do you mind telling me just what happened here?” Kakashi perked an eyebrow.

Naruto exchanged glances with the rest of the teenagers, who all simultaneously broke into laughter. 

“Maybe some other day, dattebayo” 

“That was really  not  reassuring. Oh well, at least you’re all safe. Right, Asuma?” 

“hmm”  The  man’s lack of interest was thankfully lost in all of the teens, including his nephew, who was completely caught up in his goodbyes to Haku. 

A suma turned around ,  distancing himself from the energetic group so that he could smoke another one of his cigarettes. No one seemed to mind. 

No one  except for  Shikamaru , who’s footsteps echoed in the paved road behind the older man .

“Did something happen?”  The watchful teenager asked , once he caught up. 

The older man  let out a huge blow of smoke, before forcing the corners of his lips up . 

“No, nothing at all”

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was a family man. 

It was a clan trait. Passed down through generations, until it finally fell on his lap. _The heirs of the mighty Uchiha Madara__,_ who’d battled to death with the first Hokage after his younger brother was brutally killed, and whose will still pumped through their veins.

He did not recall the time when he first heard that story, but he knew he’d been awfully young. And as with him, the tale was passed down through all the other children of the clan. 

When  Itachi went against the Hokage to protect  the Uchiha , winning the battle and proclaiming himself as  the new ruler , he was regarded as a hero by all. I t was  only logical that the  idea of devotion to the clan would be intensified , and it was .

Loyalty to the clan above all else became the norm. It was what was expected of him, especially seeing as he was the brother of their savior, and what he’d eventually come to expect of himself. 

Yet ,  when  he was  told he would have to wed Haruno Sakura, and in turn  welcome her into the clan as one of  their own , solidifying their power, none of that protectivenes s and pride he was raised to feel surfaced. He felt…  nothing . 

Sakura was an exceptional kunoichi on all accords, and a very kind and sweet woman to those around her. She too was bound by the clan’s obligations and rules, but faced them all bravely. They were practically raised together after what happened, which meant the two of them went through a lot of their royalty teachings together, sharing things they’d never share with anyone else. It left them with a unique bond.

All of those things were all immensurable qualities for a wife, and he knew as much .  _ But… _

The door to the chief’s office slid open with ease, only to reveal an empty room. His father was not here yet. 

He absently made his way to the other side of the table, and sat on the cushioned  chair. It had been a while since he last did this, but the room remained mostly unchanged. 

From this angle, a collection of picture frames faced him from his left. His mom and dad, him and his brother, their whole family… His eyes stopped on the photo he was looking for. 

His parents stood side by side ,  looking happier than he’d seen them in years. 

Next to them, Itachi and  Isumi mirrored their position. 

His brother truly loved his soon - to - be wife . That was a fact, and one Sasuke  had always known to be true.  She would always be around the house, interrupting their brotherly moments when they were younger ,  and eventually  Itachi  begun  tak ing forever to go home after school. 

He always acted different ly around her. Happier, almost. In a way Sasuke couldn’t quite place. 

Whatever that was, it was missing whenever  he was around Sakura.

He was worried about her. Missed her, even. They were teammates ever since joining the academy, after all.  Friends,  if he wanted to take it that far,  and she was the only one who truly understood how he felt. 

But if even a jounin like Obito sensei and a group of ANBU could not bring her back, who would?

He had not seen his teacher for a while.  The first time Itachi sent him after Sakura, he’d been ecstatic.

“Don’t worry, Sasuke. I’ll bring her home” He’d said, before storming off into the forest. He’d wanted to go with him, but Itachi wouldn’t allow it. Too dangerous, he’d said, and for once Sasuke couldn’t disagree. 

That optimism was gone by the time he returned. Yes, his cousin had tried to hide it and pretend things were fine, but Obito had always been a terrible liar. 

“She will be home soon” he’d  promised , and very confidently too. But the happiness and excitement were gone from his voice. He was never given any details past what was announced to the village; Team 10 and their sensei had chosen to desert, and join the Akatsuki. 

Sasuke was never too close with any of them, but he knew who they were, and he really doubted they would desert without a very good reason to do so. That, aligned to his sensei’s behavior just left a weird feeling in him. 

A feeling that Sakura had chosen not to come home . 

Part of him felt relieved for that. And he hated himself for it. 

Sasuke pushed himself back in frustration, letting the chair roll back until it connected with the back wall . 

He then stood up , and quietly ma de his way out of the room.

It was not as if he didn’t value  his position , or what was expected him.  If she ever came back, he would marry her, or any other, if that was  what was needed . After all, it was his duty as th e first in the succession line of the family to do what was best for the clan .  Still…

_First his best friend, now Sakura_ _ …  _

_ Just how many sacrifices would he have to make for the Uchiha? _

It was probably ironic the two of them were together now.  Somewhere in the woods , completely free. In a way, he felt almost jealous. 

“Oi, sir! We have an emergency!” Tanaka almost bumped into him as he ushered  past.

“I will be right there” He  replied, as the other man disappeared somewhere down the hall. 

Sasuke took a second to examine the objects attached to his belt, making sure everything he would possibly need was in place. 

Sasuke  activated his sharingan.

_ Naruto…Sakura… Take care of each other. _

* * *

Walking around without the threat of danger breathing down your neck at every corner was almost soothing.

Kakash i had the opportunity to travel  through  the entire ninja worl d in the past decade . What he came to learn was that in a way, it was always the same, with different levels of danger. 

Nukenin were a high - level threat no matter which land they were originally from. Of course, each village took their own nukenin  f ar more seriously than the ones from any other place.  For that reason,  being away from the land of fire in itself was already far less anxiety inducing. 

Being in a non - shinobi ruled country cut that same anxiety to practically zero. 

_ Yes _ , there were other highly dangerous and wanted thieves and shinobi hiding everywhere, but  given his reputation and Naruto’s,  those guys would only attack when provoked, and Kakashi had no intention  whatsoever  of provoking any of them. 

And so, at the present moment, there was no reason to do anything but feel the soft sea breeze as they walked through the sand  by  the shore. 

“ This is so beautiful!”  Ino’s voice reached his ears from somewhere behind him. 

“ Hmm!”  Choji agreed. “I never saw the ocean before” 

His words were the right ones and at the right time, it seemed, considering  all  of the  ninja  collectively  stopped then, finally taking  in  the sight. 

The sun was still somewhat high in the cloudless sky that afternoon , coloring the water with a bright blue tone. Seagulls would occasionally dive in, returning with different colored fishes in their beaks. 

It was beautiful. A much-needed change from such a dark period. 

“Well...” the masked shinobi started, finding himself a patch of dry sand to sit on. “How about we enjoy it?” 

“ For real?” The excitement in his voice was as bright as his big blue eyes. The corner of Kakashi’s eyes crinkled. 

“ Why not? You earned it after everything that happened these past few days” 

“ Awesome!!!” The boy threw himself backwards, landing in the sand, and begun moving his arms up and down clumsily. 

“ What are you doing?” Sakura placed her hands on her hips , and bent awkwardly over him . 

“ A sand angel” he informed her, agitating his limbs even faster .

“ Cool! N aruto  n i i -Chan is so smart!” Konohamaru comically dropped to the ground next to the older boy , and begun  mirroring his  movements. 

“ Aren’t they meant to be snow angels though?”  Choji frowned, before eating more chips from the bag.  The question seemed to spike something in Naruto, because he stopped moving and sat up . 

“ No, they’re different. You see, snow angels...”

It was  interesting to see Naruto like this. With the life they had, there hadn’t been many opportunities for him to be with people his age. Because of that, he had grown up way too fast. Faster than Kakashi ever wanted him to. 

As such, now that he was stuck with others his age, interacting with them and even forging bonds, he’d definitely begun acting like a regular teenager should. And that made Kakashi happy. 

“ You owe me a new pair of clothes” Asuma motioned his head towards Konohamaru’s sand-coated self.  It would take days to remove all that sand, if it was even possible. 

Nevertheless, the words were said in a  carefree , almost teasing manner . 

His mood seemed to be improving , even if only slightly . _ Kakashi was glad for that.  _

“ I suppose”

* * *

He was not sure of how much time passed as the two of them watched the group of teens play with each other. The sun was almost gone, and they had all moved from the sand to the water by the time it arrived. 

A single hawk, with an insistent screech soared over the beach. A bag was attached to its torso, in which the fire temple badge was carved. 

“Is that….?” 

Kakashi stretched his left arm out, and the bird took the opportunity. There seemed to be nothing special about it, safe from the letter tied to  its left leg. 

“ What is it?” Asuma asked. 

As soon as he was free from the weight of the letter, the Hawk took off, disappearing in the sky. Kakashi opened the piece of parchment carefully. 

His eye widened. 

“ It’s a letter from Minato sensei. He’s requesting our presence right away”


	18. Chapter 18

_ It was  Mother’s Day in Konoha. _

_ Sakura always loved that date, because they would make pretty art at  the academy, and then she’d take it home for her mom, who’d always be really happy about it.  _

_ “ Oh if it isn’t miss forehead” One of the boys chirped , as soon as she walked into the classroom. Two of his friends laughed loudly at it. _

_ She rolled her eyes,  ignoring them as she climbed the steps that would lead to her seat.  Naruto was  already  in his, a s he usually was, which was always comforting to her. And he  was a lot more interesting than those  other  boys anyway- _

_ “ N-Naruto? Are you okay?” She asked, emerald eyes shining with worry.  _

_ Her best friend was already there on his seat,  but she could only see his hair. Everything else was  buried  in his arm s. _

_ As soon as he heard her voice, he jolted up.  _

_ “ Oh hi Sakura-Chan! How are you?”  _

_ “ What were you doing?” She asked, eyes going from the desk to his face.  _

_   
“ W-well I-I didn’t sleep a lot last night.  So, I thought I should try to before Iruka sensei arrived” he chuck led embarrassedly, and lock ed his arms behind his head . _

_Oh. Sakura finally allowed herself to relax. She thought her friend was sad! And that would be bad, especially on Mother’s Day. _

_   
Satisfied for now, she took her seat.  _

S he wasn’t sure of what made her ask, even now.

Maybe it was the date, or the fact she’d never seen him talk about anyone except his father and older brother before. She did remember the sudden curiosity that blossomed in her mind, though. 

_ “ Hey, Naruto- kun ...”  The shy tone of her voice made him drop his arms, and r i se his eyebrows.  _

_ “ What is it?”  _

_   
“ What are you going to make for your mom today?”  _

_ Sakura didn’t understand the look on his face after that , nor why his  always absent  father came to pick him up  immediately after the lessons ended, before Iruka sensei could even grab the materials to make said art .  _

_ It would only be years later, as she looked back on those memories that she would be completely horrified at how a child so young could show such intense grief. _

* * *

There was a single part of the fire country which wasn’t entirely covered by vegetation .  An inheritance from the past, when war  raged throughout the  earth, or even before that,  on  a time far lost in  the stars.

Whichever reason that came to be, the  usually  colorful  forest opened into wide, broken canyons,  whose lack of nature made the  landscape feel  grim, and lifeless. 

Nothing could grow here . And the  lack of vegetation unfolded into a  lack of animals, or any living thing for that matter .  Nothing, but the howl of the wind as it danced across the rocky pathway. 

_ It was the perfect place to hide.  _ Or , if you were orchestrating a coup, to meet with your peers.   
  


“ Are you sure they’re going to meet us here?” Naruto’s high-pitched voice echoed through the walls endlessly. 

“ It’s what the letter says” Kakashi replied, cautiously looking around. 

  
  
Although this was an amazing place to hide, it was  an  equally great place to arrange surprise attacks.

Minato sensei had sent that letter, there was no doubt about it . Th e bird that arrived with it was the exact same Kakashi sent out to him days ago. 

That didn’t mean, however, that his master was the only one in the canyons. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to be a bit careful. 

“ Well, I don’t see them” Naruto  lifted his arm, placing his hand on his forehead ,  in an attempt to block the sun. 

“ It is a big canyon. Maybe they’re further down?” Sakura offered, equally interested in  trying to locate the rest of the people that made up the Akatsuki. 

“ Possibly” Kakashi  replied .

  
He’d waited for this letter for the longest time. Years , s pent anxiously worrying as to when Minato-sensei would  decide it was an appropriate time to  call them into war, and take back their home. 

_   
Now that it had finally arrived, he wished he could unsee it.  _

  
The rocky passageway grew slimmer and slimmer the longer they walked, to the extent it was getting harder to go through it without touching both walls, especially for the adults. 

_It made strategical sense, of course_. Reuniting the group in the most secluded place possible , and one that was harder to access. The passageway would eventually lead to a much bigger space, where they’d finally meet his sensei. 

“ Stay close, Konohamaru” Asuma grumbled, peering at the tall earth walls that were closing in on them , as though the child had any other option. 

Going to war with their former village would end the decade long dilemma for the self-proclaimed nukenin; They would finally be able to go home again, give explanations to those who were willing to listen, and move on with their lives. 

_As much as possible, at least_. 

Nevertheless, _winning a war _ _ would  _ _demand sacrifice_. Something he knew all too well, being part of the previous war, and losing his mother to the one before that.   


Situations like that tended to leave deep scars. _Permanent ones._ The kind of scars that would create lifelong pain. Scars that he did not want Naruto to ever have. Particularly not now, when he’d just begun experiencing friendship. 

Just as he’d predicted , the narrow passageway slowly opened up into a larger chamber . 

Kakashi moved to the side, allowing the rest of the group to slide through the narrow space and finally breathe. Strangely, this place was also empty. 

Kakashi frowned. 

Which was when the  exploding papers ignited , tearing off half the cliff  above the m.

* * *

“Doton doryuuheki!”

  
The massive mud wall rose from the ground at impressive speed, preventing the rocks that were sliding down from their left of squashing the entire group. 

It worked momentarily , but  when a second and third explosions followed,  the amount of debris became too tall for the wall to hold, and some of them rolled right  above it.

“ Katon :  Daiendan ! ”

The rain of fire created by Asuma bull’s-eyed the rocks, burning them to dust. 

“ We need to go.  Now!” Kakashi barked,  pulling at Naruto’s sleeve to get him moving.

  
The question was to _where, _though_. _As the explosions made sure the thin exit they’d come from was now also completely blocked. 

“ What’s with the hurry, Kakashi?” Obito’s  question echoed from  somewhere  above them . Next to him stood a group of ANBU  th e  silver haired man  did not recognize.

  
He wasn’t sure if he should feel glad for that, or absolutely mortified. 

  
“Don’t you want to meet _sensei_?”  The Uchiha got closer to the border, and carelessly  jump ed down. 

“ How?”  Kakashi asked,  genuinely  stunned. _ Had Itachi _ _ somehow intercepted Minato’s message?_ That would explain why Obito was there, waiting for them. 

_   
Did the current hokage  outmatc h  the fourth, killing  everyone else? Were they everything that was left of the Akatsuki? _

Obito’s metal leg protested rather loudly when he landed in front of them. It should have been painful, but it did not seem to faze the Uchiha in the slightest. 

The five ANBU landed next to him effortlessly.

Kakashi instinctively moved to stand in front of Naruto. 

“ Well, in your rush to destroy a national monument, the monks forgot to release the birds carrying the morning letters. Imagine that!” 

_That was right!_ He never saw the hawk take off with the letter! His mind rewound itself until the the moment where he gave the letter to the monk responsible for the mail. 

The mess that followed happened shortly after their exchange. If she had not immediately sent the letter, it was never sent. 

_ Leaving it to be found by Konoha .  _

And if Minato sensei did not receive his letter, he had no idea of what was happening.

A  mix of dread and relief took over Kakashi.  Whatever happened to them, t he Akatsuki still had a chance. At the same time, it meant there would be no rescue attempts for them. 

He would have to think of something. _Fast. _

“Obito sensei please!” Sakura stepped forward, effectively capturing the Uchiha’s attention. “They aren’t\- “

“ Bad people? Is that  what you were going to say ? ”  He faced his former student.  “ Last time we met, you wanted me to tell you the truth. And the truth is that  I’ve  known Kakashi and Asuma for my entire life. More that that, Naruto’s father was my sensei.  Can you really make that judgement after knowing them for barely a month?”

The words felt like cold water against her skin. 

“ I-“

“ Has Kakashi told you about how I ended up like this?” He lifted his prosthetic arm ,  and moved the  equally damaged leg forward. “Or about how he acquired  a sharingan, despite not being an Uchiha?” 

It did not matter she didn’t have an answer for any of his questions; Each passing word that left his mouth made  it clearer that those words were not aimed at Sakura at all. 

Obito took a step forward. And another. And another.

  
“ Did he tell you about  _ Rin _ ?”

Rin  Nohara . She was one of Obito sensei’s childhood friends, and had sadly passed away when they were still  children .  Sakura did not know much about her, as he really did not like discussing the subject, but she knew they’d been really close. 

  
“That’s enough, Obito” The silver haired shinobi cut him off. As if breaking out of a trance, Obito stopped moving immediately. 

By that point, Sakura was almost within reach to him.

  
_Wait. _

_ Did Kakashi have anything to do with her death ?  _

She allowed herself to look back at the masked man.

The realization in her eyes was like music to Obito’s ears. _Finally, some hope!_ If he could just get her to listen to him for a bit longer, he was sure he could bring her home to safety, and far away from _him_.

“ I’ll take that as a no. Just as he failed to mention what the Hokage’s plan was. What was going to happen to the Uchiha, should  Itachi have not done what he did. ” 

“ None of that matters” Growled Naruto.

“ What?”

  
The  jinchuuriki brushed past Kakashi’s shoulder .

“Naruto-” 

“ None of that matters. ” Against Kakashi’s warning tone , the blonde kept moving, until he was standing right next to Sakura . 

“ Yes, the past is filled of mistakes made by grown - ups like you , and my dad too, dattebayo. Those m istakes made things be what they are now.”  He reached up to his crossed off forehead protector.  “ But what’s  important is the future. What we do from here on out to change that . And -“

  
  
The laugher that erupted from Obito’s lungs was not human . 

“How convenient of you to say that with such security. Is that what your father tells you when you lose control, brat? How many people has that demon insideyou made you kill? I bet their families don’t feel the same way as you do” 

“ Naruto has a point .”  Interjected Sakura .  “ The past can ’ t be changed, no matter how hard you may want it to. But the future is ours to make!  The things Hokage  sama did to the village and the people that live there are not something I can agree with. ”

  
Sakura  tightened  her rig ht hand into a fist .

Her eyes softened.   


“I’m sorry, sensei. But I can’t go home with you and pretend everything is alright, when I know better.” She met his desperate, hurt filled eyes. He just wanted to protect her, as he always had. Yet, she had a duty to the entire village, and one she couldn’t ignore. 

  
And so, she dropped to the ground. 

  
“Shanaroooo!” The strength of the punch made the ground beneath them shake, cracking in every direction, before breaking underneath Obito’s and the ANBU’s feet. 

“ Scatter !” He ordered , following his own advice and leaping backwards just in time to avoid the fall .

  
The commotion was more than enough to create an opening. 

  
“Raijū Hashiri no Jutsu” The massive lightening dog flew out of Kakashi’s handlike a bolt, and connected with the new closed off entry, successfully shattering the boulders to pieces, and reopening their escape route. 

“Let’s go! _Now_!” Asuma ordered, taking hold of Konohamaru’s hand. His team followed suit, squeezing themselves through the passageway while simultaneously dodging the scrapes that were left after the strike. Naruto and Sakura promptly followed. 

  
Kakashi s tumbled on his feet, suddenly lightheaded. He did not have a lot of chakra left . He’d have to stop wasting it so carelessly. 

“ Don’t let them escape!” Howled Obito.  The ANBU efficient ly took advantage of the environment, spreading out through the width the canyon provided them, and essentially working as a net, closing in on their targets.  T he maneuver allowed them to trap the renegades on the corner, while simultaneously  making it harder for the shinobi  to hit  them. 

  
Kakashi had no idea of who the leader of that team was, but they were good.

“ Katon :  goukakyuu no jutsu!” The wave of fire flew out of  Obito’s lips,  straight towards the cracked-up wall. 

By that point, almost everyone  had successfully gone through the passageway .

_Everyone_, _except for himself and Naruto. _ T he heat prickled Kakashi’s neck . 

The fire was massive ,  in a way only someone who’s chakra nature resonated with the element could produce, and it was coming in their direction very fast. If it  managed to go through the  small sized  gap, it would  spread out  through the extension of the enclosed space  in seconds,  eliminat ing everyone in  the process . 

_ It was a trap _ _._ He realized. Obito was counting on him or Asuma to react and stop his blast, and though it was very likely that the latter would be able to with ease, he was already too far off to return in time. 

  
He would have to do it himself. Counter it with one of the hundreds of jutsu he’d copied through the years. Preferably a water one. Doing so however would take far more time than they had available. Also, it would also come with a very high chance of his chakra burning out completely. 

  
“ Nii -san!” Naruto called, rather desperately. The heat was making sweat pool on his cheeks.  “We have to go!”

  
The world seemed to slow down around him.   
  


Kakashi had no issue with sacrificing himself. It was part of being a shinobi, and if it meant Naruto and  the others would be safe, he would gladly do so. Still, burning what was left of his chakra to stop Obito’s jutsu would only go so far. The  ANBU , as well as him, would remain pursuing the rest of the group . 

_ Unless... _

  
Kakashi turned to Naruto. 

  
“ Naru ? Remember that jutsu we’ve been practicing?” The blonde did not have to be told twice. 

“Kage  bunshin no jutsu!” Soon, there were three of himself , and they  began molding  chakra, until…

“ Fuuton :  rasen shuriken!” What could only be described as a chakra shaped ninja weapon flung fr om Naruto’s arm, straight into  the fireball . 

At first, nothing happened. The wind mixed slowly with the  opposing chakra nature , w hich the n  assumed slow , circular movements. 

And then , the energy ball exploded in a sea of flames. 

The  intensity of the explosion was  far  too much to handle. Obito contracted the muscles on his right leg the best way he could, but it was useless; The wave of sheer power sent him flying backwards until his back connected with  one of the sides of the canyon . 

He grunted, painfully trying to force air into his lungs, as a sea of residual smoke covered the entire place, making it impossible for anyone to see anything past it.

That was, aside from w eak sprinkles of blue , which would occasionally illuminat e  the air, allowing him to distinguish the  shadows of the people fighting in front of him. 

  
The first fell with a kick to the jaw. 

_ Crack _

The second with a  punch to the nose.

_ Crack. _

  
The  light pierced the third  through his heart. 

  
The light was almost immediately by metallic sounds. 

By that point, the smoke was starting to clear , slowly allowing Obito to  differentiate the shapes of the only ANBU that was left, as he battled sword-to-sword with Kakashi’s exhausted form with more and more clarity. 

The smoke clearing also revealed a very important fact ; His former best friend  was completely alone.

* * *

  
_Mercifully, Kakashi still had enough chakra left to use doton one final time when _ _the energy ball hit the fire, creating a barrier to protect himself and Naruto. After the shock wave passed,he ordered Naruto to run. _

He just forgot to mention he wouldn’t be joining him. 

_ It was better this way _ _,_ he told himself, releasing the grip on the chakra in his hands,  before  dropping to his knees , completely spent. 

  
“I don’t think I need to tell you this, but this was not a smart move on your part”  From the corner of his eye, he could make out  Obito ’s figure, as he limp ed his way to him. 

  
One of the two remaining ANBU held their sword to his throat. 

Part of him expected her to go through with it. 

  
“Maa, I think I did pretty good, Obito-san” He stared at the other man defiantly.

  
_It was over. Naruto was safe. _

There was no way in hell he could ever allow Itachi to put his hands on his little brother. Not as long as he lived. A sentiment the godaime Hokage undoubtedly understood well. 

He offered no resistance when Obito went around his back, surprisingly not taking advantage of the situation to cause harm. Instead, he simply t ook hold of  Kakashi’s right arm, and then the left one.

“Hatake Kakashi, you  are under arrest for crimes against the Hokage, and the Village Hidden in the Leaves”  The cuffs cracked into place. 

When the long waited punch to his face darkened his vision, he allowed the darkness to swallow him whole.

* * *

_ Explode.  Dodge . Run. _

  
That was the plan. That was why he developed the jutsu in the first place. 

_ Explode.  Dodge . Run. _

They spent months  in it. In the middle of nowhere,  just for the case he lost control. 

Sometimes he’d pass out from exhaustion.

Other times, he’d wake up to complete devastation. 

_ Explode.  Dodge . Run. _

He caught a deer once. 

_   
Explode.  Dodge . Run. _

  
Then, was a small, unmapped village. 

The blood was still fresh on his clothes when he woke up.

_ Explode.  Dodge . Run. _

_ This shouldn’t be happening.  _

_ Explode.  Dodge . Run. _

“_I’ll always be right behind you, _ _ Naru ” _

_But he wasn’t._ And Naruto only noticed by the time  he and the others we’re far past the canyon, and crossed the tree line. 

** THEY TOOK YOUR BROTHER, AND YOU DID NOTHING TO HELP. I KNEW YOU WERE TRASH, BUT THIS IS A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. **

  
He could have helped him.

_ Was he even still aliv e? _

His knees buckled.

_ “In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are even worse than scum”  _

  
He had been raised by that , e ven before  they left the village. It was one of the first thing s he’d been taught. And yet…

_ He could still  _ ** HELP HIM .  **

** Yess … if he just surrendered to the darkness, everything would be- **

“Naruto!” Sakura’s gentle voice was  like  a  beacon of light amidst the pain. 

She fell to her knees next to his trembling for m ,  placing her palm  on his back.

“S-s-s-a-a-k -“

“Shh. Just breathe for me, okay? In and out” 

The tears pooled in his ground beneath him, dirtying his nose with freshly formed mud with his violent hiccups.

He sobbed until there were no more tears left, and the entire world became a blur to him.  _ He felt like he was going to die.  _

  
But he didn’t.  Gradually, the world started making sense once more. He did not know how much time had passed, but his back and now scraped knees hurt from the position he was in, on the grassy ground. E ventually, his breath ing evened out. 

“I know how much you loved Hatake-san …. and I’m really sorry … Naruto”  Her voice cracked.

  
_Was she…_ _ crying? _

“But …H- he sacrificed himself so you could live. So please stay with me. And we can build a better world together ! ” 

Her tears fell on  the nape of his neck, sending shivers down his spine before  sliding down, and pool ing with his. 

She was right. What was he doing? Here, crying like a baby and putting all of his companions in danger.

_ Kakashi  would be ashamed of him. _

He clenched his fist until the nails painfully dug into his palm.

“He’s not dead” 

Naruto and Sakura  immediately lifted their heads. 

“What?” Asuma was standing on top of the nearest tree, eyes fixed in the direction they had come from. 

  
“He’s not dead. Kakashi is a  very important part of the  Akatsuki . They will want to make an example out of him , and  question him. 

A shiver went down Sakura’s spine. 

“Which means…”

“They’ll take him back home.” He confirmed. “To Konoha”


	19. Chapter 19

_Being in Konoha again felt weird._

He always expected to return someday. After all, that was what Minato sensei’s travels and negotiations under the name of the Akatsuki were trying to achieve. It was something he would think about time and again, whenever there was enough room in his mind for hope. 

He wouldn’t return as a hero; people with sins such as his would never be allowed such honor. He would, however, do so as someone who had helped to restore what was right, and what should always have been.

People would welcome him with certain admiration, as they often used to when he walked around the village, thanks to his achievements. If anything, they would act respectfully as he walked by, maybe caught up with some old friends who would still be capable of forgiving him. He could even go on some of those challenges with Gai again. As a child he hated them, and how inconvenient they were. Now, he craved for that sense of belonging.

He would also pick Naruto up from school, or at the very least accompany him home after a mission, as Minato sensei would no doubt be very busy with fixing the damage the Uchiha caused.

_Of course, that was the happiest scenario. The one where they won the war, and lived to see it._

There was a second option. One where he died a bloody death, to an Uchiha clan member. Itachi, most likely, or maybe his former best friend, who hated him extremely deeply. Part of him would be happy that at least Obito would have some peace after he was gone.

After that, he would probably be buried in the cemetery, next to his father._ The last two Hatake._ _Both_ extreme disappointments of the leaf village.

Whether Minato sensei would win or not without him would remain to be seen, but he supposed it was definitely possible. The Akatsuki had long grown from their two man and a child squadron, and his call out for supporters had brought powerful shinobi to their side. Yes, Minato sensei could do this without him. Especially when Naruto’s life would be at stake. 

The thought of Naruto being tortured by the Uchiha and having his tailed beast extracted, or worse, being kept alive as a prisoner in some sort of cage, as the other villages so often did to their own jinchuuriki was extremely anxiety inducing to him. In any case, he supposed that would cease alongside his heartbeat, and he would be far too gone to care. 

He never, in a million years imagined it would be quite like this.

It was not a beautiful day. The clouds swallowed over the sky, leaving only small holes of blue to shine through, giving the world around him tones of gray that did not match the village he grew up in at all. Granted, maybe that colorless appearence had to do with the pounding headache Obito had left him with.

They made a big deal of his arrival. Paraded him through the village, almost, as the tight rope bit at his wrists and neck with each step he took. After weeks of an intense cat and mouth chase with a group that opposed to the government, they finally had results. Of course, these were not the results the people had hoped for. Sakura was still gone, lost somewhere in the woods along with Naruto.

The thought made him want to laugh hysterically.

Nevertheless, capturing a renegade and one they knew was close to the former Hokage, as well as being directly involved in the kidnapping was a massive victory for Itachi’s crew.

Kakashi would dare to say his capture was the one thing keeping his government from falling apart. So, to ensure everyone could see the traitor had been captured, and put on a leash, they walked. 

For his part, the renegade kept his eyes down. He was curious about the changes the village had gone through in his absence, but he also did not want to see the look on any familiar faces who might be mixed with the crowd that gathered around the streets the longer they walked.

“Murderer!”

“Traitor!”

“Give Sasuke-Sama’s wife back to us, you piece of scum!”

“I hope Hokage-sama does to you what you did to her, you freak!”

He hoped-prayed Gai was on a mission somewhere far away, at least until he’d been dealt with. His best friend was extremely kind, always expecting the best from the people around him, no matter how many signs otherwise he gave them. It was the reason they had remained friends for so long, and why Kakashi was able to reconnect with him months after the coup. Someone with such a big heart did not deserve to see this.

Apparently satisfied with his humiliation, the leaf shinobi made their way quietly to the Hokage’s office, dragging him along, even though he was offering no resistance.

He had may memories in this office. Some good, some bad. With both the Hokage’s he had the pleasure to serve under. Surprisingly, their photos still hung from the left side of the door, covering most of that wall.

_Minato sensei. Professor. _He’d practically been raised by both of those men, from his genin years to joining the ANBU, thanks to his father’s absence. They taught him everything he knew, and for them, he would resist until his last breath.

Neither one of those man sat in the Hokage chair now.

“Hatake Kakashi” The deep voice felt odd on his ears after so long. For a brief moment, he wondered if he was dreaming or hallucinating in some way, still passed out in that canyon after Obito’s explosions.

Obito grabbed his left arm, squeezing it as tightly as he possibly could. For his part, Kakashi remained expressionless.

_ANBU must maintain their calm in all situations. _

“It is a pleasure to see you after so long, Taichou” The sarcasm in Itachi’s voice was definitely new. As a teenager, he’d been extremely quiet and observant, but also very respectful and mindful as to how he adressed others. 

That boy was long gone. Replaced by a man Kakashi knew absolutely nothing about. Things were different, and he supposed the entire scenario was.

_Under no circumstances must an ANBU agent react to the enemy’s provocation. _

If his lack of reaction bothered the self proclaimed Hokage in the slightest, he did not show.

“Hokage-Sama... We’re here to inform you of the mission’s success. And deliver the prisoner” Obito’s raspy voicefilled the silence he left with mannerisms Kakashi certainly did not miss.

“You have indeed done a fantastic job, Obito. Perhaps I should have listened to my little brother about your talents. I apologize” His former teammate loosened the grip on his forearm, a clear sign of distraction brought by the excitement he felt. It was more than enough for him to break free if he chose to.

_Obito had not changed that much after all. _

“There’s no need, Hokage-Sama. Besides, we still need to recover Haruno Sakura.”

“Indeed. That should be easier now that he have him under custody. Our decade long investigations about the Akatsuki unfortunately have many holes and blank spaces we’ve tried unsuccessfully to fill.”

He turned to the renegade. “It’s just a shame someone with your skills chose to turn against what is right. You could have been a very renowned officer in my ranks”

_There it was again_. The bait the Hokage eagerly hoped for him to take. Even with his eyes on the polished wooden floor, the nukenin could feel the Uchiha’s gaze burning at his forehead. In the end, Itachi shrugged.

“Very well. Working for me willingly isn’t the only way for you to serve your Hokage”

“Should I take him to Ibiki, sir?” The excitement in which Obito talked about him being tortured made Kakashi sick. Still, he only had himself to blame for it.

He wasn’t afraid of the torture division. In fact, he’d gone through them several times while under training to become a captain. He had no intention whatsoever of revealing any secrets, but he had to say he preferred a quick death than the alternative. 

  
The shinobi around him did not visibly express any annoyance, but he could still sense it growing like a silent illness at his collected calm. Maybe if he pushed far enough, one of them would snap and kill him, ending this show before it could even begin.

“I’m sure you know there are a few people downstairs that would love nothing more than to make you _talk_. But I know you, and I know those methods will be of little to no help.”

_He’d been right, in the end_. The boy became a better ANBU than he ever could be.

It was just such a shame he had turned out this way.

“Which is why you will serve a different purpose.”

“I’m not sure I understand, Hokage-sama. If you won’t question him, what will you do?” Obito asked, satisfying the curiosity of both of them.

Itachi smirked.

_“_ _Though torture is an useful way to get information, it’s also important to look at the bigger picture, and how valuable the hostage truly is”_

They were on a mission. Above s rank, completely undercover in the wind country for weeks, with little to no resources. It was one of their first missions as team ro, and Itachi was still learning.

_No._

“Are you proud of me now, _taichou?”_

“They will never come” Kakashi replied, as calmly as he could. “Whatever advantage you think you have by holding me captive, Lord Fourth would never allow it.”

“Indeed. Namikaze Minato was always a strategical genius. He would never take the bait, and compromise such an important mission.”

“So then-“

“It is a very good thing that this bait isn’t for him.”

_Shit. Shit. SHIT. _

“As I said, my teams have gathered intel on your little group for years. And whenever that information involved you, it would always include a blonde boy too. Minato sightings were far less frequent. Out of all the times you were seen, only a handful involved leads that indicated his presence.” As he spoke, the Uchiha reached for one of the files on his desk, turning it around so that Kakashi could see.

The file wasn’t that big, considering the amount of years it was supposed to cover, but it was covered with reports, and pictures, and sketches of him, Naruto and his sensei in several locations. 

“It was a smart strategy. After all, trusting his child to an extremely capable shinobi would put him in far less risk than if he stayed with him. Nevertheless, since the former Hokage was never around, I’m willing to bet Naruto is far more attached to you than to him” Itachi’s sharingan spun around it’s iris like a sharp and deadly shuriken.

“And by Obito’s reports, Minato was not with the both of you when you were taken”

Any self control the Hatake still had shattered in a million pieces right there and then.

“Bastard!” He attempted to yank forward, but the four shinobi holding him kept him in place. “If you touch him, I swear-“

But Itachi already got what he needed from that conversation.

“Lock him up in the highest security cell you can find. Keep him bound, if possible, and make sure he’s watched at all times. We need to be very careful if we want this plan to work.”

“Which squadron should keep watch, sir?” The fifth Hokage paused for a minute.

“Team Rō will do it. Make sure you inform Yamato this is their last chance.”

“Yes sir” Kakashi was barely able to process the information before he was being yanked around again, this time out of the office.

_Naruto... please stay away. _


	20. Chapter 20

On the first day, everything was quiet.

The “_highest security cell they could find”_ was the solitary confinement area of Konoha’s prison. The idea was interesting to him.

ANBU did not take prisoners. It was rare for shinobi in general to, but ANBU never did. If there was an enemy powerful enough that they were ones that got summoned to handle, it would always. _Always_. mean death. The leaf village did not like to take risks, and high profile individuals definitely fit that list.

ANBU from other countries were more open to the possibility, or so was the word at the headquarters. Even so, he did not know anything past that; should an ANBU be faced with imminent capture, they were to take their own life, no questions asked.

Before that, when he was still going through the basic ranks, there was war. Several micro aggressions and political movements that rose the tension and ultimately led to the third great ninja war. Taking prisoners was allowed, and even somewhat encouraged by the leaf. Still, very few were brave enough to take the risks.

He he knew what prisons were, of course, and what they were supposed to look like, from the plants they would show them at the academy when he was a child. Still, it was his first time experiencing one.

_He hated it. _

The metal cuffs around all four of his limbs were not too tight, but they did not leave a lot of room for movement either. The metal rings were attached to chains, which rattled rather loudly with his every movement, making the guards aware of his every action.

On the positive side, they were long enough that he could stand up, and move around the cell if he desired to, yet too short for him to touch the bars that trapped him.

Not that he wanted to, because standing right outside was always one of his former subordinates.

Itachi said he would not torture Kakashi, and true to his word, no one laid a single hand on him after he was properly locked up, and the bonds were also relatively comfortable. Still, physical pain was not the only, nor was it the most effective way of causing harm.

_Bastard. _

The first of them to watch him was Yugao. She was present when he was brought in and tied up. Though she kept her mask on at all times, it was clear that she had grown into a beautiful woman, so very different from the little girl he used to know.

He saw her a few weeks ago, at their failed attempt of capturing him and Naruto. There hadn’t been a lot of time to think about these sorts of details (or much of anything else, as a matter of fact) during the incident, or since. Now, he no longer had anyone to protect. Somewhere else to be, safety measures to take. It was only the two of them, with absolutely nothing else in between. There was no stopping the thoughts from consuming him.

_“Kakashi senpai, you’re my role model” _

She was not part of team ro when he was still their captain, but the two of them would always inevitably run into each other in between missions. She was younger, less experienced. Lord third seemed to take a special liking to her in a fatherly way, and so she’d deliver messages from him more often than not. It was during one of those deliveries she’d ran into him, bleeding and exhausted, and ultimately helped him save Tenzō (_at the time, Kinoe_) from Danzō and the root.

From that moment on, she saw him as a hero. Someone to look up to, and shower with admiration.

He had no idea what him becoming a nukenin did to her. And probably never would.

The adult version of her was silent. Completely so, to the point his ears started to ring and buzz, and he’d have to move his arms so that at least the sound of the shackles could fill the air.

_He__ wouldn’t dream of disturbing her. _On the slim chance it worked, she would want answers. A reason for why he fell so far off from all she believed him to be.

He did not have any.

And so, he left her alone.

There was a lot more to worry about, anyway. Like Naruto.

Kakashi did not have the time to tell him about the plan. Not that he would have, if he did. Naruto was extremely stubborn, and always had been. If he knew what the nukenin was planning to do, he would’ve never allowed it. Regardless, the plan worked. Kakashi’s actions left him in the hands of another adult, who was very much a complete stranger.

Asuma was a well named shinobi and trusted jounin. There was no doubt about his skills, or competence. That, alongside his newfound determination, made it clear he would not, in a million years, betray the teenager and align with the Uchiha.

He was a safe bet. One Kakashi felt very confident about making.

_Still_, Naruto was stubborn. If Minato sensei’s genes had been responsible for his looks, it was Kushina who shaped his personality. Add that to the harsh environment he grew up in (though Kakashi had tried his best so soften it), and it wouldn’t be too long before the two of them did not see eye to eye. And then.... _what?_ He couldn’t know.

Naruto knew exactly which procedures he should take if anything like this came to pass. Kakashi made sure he had all of the contingency plans memorized in that thick head of his over and over again, until he could repeat them word for word, without missing a heartbeat. The first thing was to find his father, and knew step by step how to do so. Would he and Asuma be able to do that at least, before an argument ever came to be?

_Had naruto lost control when he realized....? _

If there was ever a god, or a higher power protecting the universe, he hoped that never came to be.

* * *

By the second day, Kakashi had created and dismantled enough theories and alternate universes about what happened to Naruto and the others to write a conspiracy book. He was always a strategical man, and liked knowing all the possible details about the situations to make backup plans, and create alternatives. Now, there was no way to know anything. And not knowing was giving him a level of anxiety he was impressed to know he was capable of.

He lifted his head, glancing through the bars he still couldn’t touch.

On the second day, the ANBU guarding his door was Tenzō.

He groaned at his luck, softly hitting the back wall with his head. _Great_. Not much had changed in him for the past few times they met. The now ANBU captain had shorter hair, and hid behind the cat mask Danzō gifted him as a child. He never understood why he chose to keep it, after everything that happened to him there.

It would do no good however, to ignore the bruises on his exposed arms, nor the blood that stained the bandages around one of his legs.

_ANBU did not have failed missions. _

Apparently, that was specially true under Itachi’s leadership. He twitched his lips in a mix of disgust and guilt beneath his mask. Yūgao did not have anything wrong with her, which meant he probably took on all the guilt himself.

_“Those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum”. _He taught that to everyone he became close to after Rin’s death. And the wood style user clearly took it to heart.

_Of course he did. _

He contemplated reaching out to one of his former best friends, even if only to apologize, but something in Kakashi was holding him back. _Tenzō hated him_. It was also very likely he wanted him dead, and as much as the silver haired man did not blame him for that, he wasn’t sure if he had the right to risk bringing even more hurt to his friend.

Now, aside from his Naruto thoughts, which would, without a doubt, make him go insane if they stayed that way for much longer, there was also Tenzō to worry about.

He cleared his throat.

“Oi, Ten-“

“Do.not. Call me that.” The tone was aggressive, and final.

It was still a lot better than what Kakashi expected it to be.

“Maa... it suits you a lot better than Kinoe ever did”

“It’s a good thing I don’t use either. It’s Yamato now” The other stated, proudly.

“Oh? _Captain Yamato._ I like it. It was a good choice” The other man inclined his head, clearly realizing he’d inadvertently sprung Kakashi’s trap.

“Stop this” Kakashi blinked.

“Stop what?”

“Trying to have a conversation with me, after what you did” Yamato turned his head slightly, revealing a clean cut on the right side of the ANBU’s neck. From this angle, it was hard to tell the size of it. The wound wasn’t bandaged up, and the few stitches Kakashi could see stood out rather chaotically, as if they were done in a hurry.

Another inch backwards, and there would be no doctor skilled enough to save him. His former friend probably noticed his staring, because he adjusted his posture, hiding everything from sight.

_Shit, Tenzō. I’m so sorry._

“I never meant to hurt any of you.” He was honest in his confession, but it earned him a very loud snort.

“Yeah well... great job with that.” Yamato leaned against the wall, tilting his head up so that he could avoid the renegade’s gaze. _End of discussion. _But it wasn’t good enough.

“What would you do if the Hokage himself appeared in front of you in the middle of a rebellion, and told you to protect his child?”

Silence. Then, the brown-haired man shifted on his feet.

“Don’t” The warning was clear on his voice.

“I’m not doing anything. I _can’t_ do anything” he yanked at the chains, making both of their ears ring with the noise.

“Yeah? And why is that?” Yamato asked, no, shouted, approaching the bars that separated them.

“You had a good life here, Kakashi. A career, friends who supported you... and you decided to throw it all away, and for what?” He took hold of the bars, squeezing them tightly. “A Hokage that was fine with the complete wipe out of an entire clan, and his out of control son”

Kakashi yanked the chains as far as they would go, until he was standing at eye level with the other.

“Don’t talk about Naruto like that” His tone was low, but the spark was clear. The threat however seemed to take Tenzo out of his frenzy.

He took a step back.

“Well, I hope it was worth it. Unlike your team, who you left to die at the hands of the Uchiha clan, your precious jinchuriki and his father will never come to your rescue.” He sounded a lot more collected now, but the emotion was palpable into every word, as they burned their way into Kakashi’s soul.

Tenzō was hurt. _Incredibly so_. And the silver haired shinobi wasn’t sure if he would be able to mend things.

When the ANBU captain returned to his former spot, and assumed an alert position, Kakashi let him.

The renegade walked over to the bed, allowing himself to softly fall on the thin mattress, and stared outside, through the single barred window.

The shinobi memorized the buildings and their colors, taking in all the changes from the picture he had in his memory. His eyes eventually caught the Hokage monument, and all the stone faces, which stood in the far off distance.

His eyes hovered over the fourth face.

_Minato sensei... Please be careful._

* * *

On the third day, a young man guarded the door.

Kakashi recognized him from the forest, but this boy was far too young to have been part of Team Rō while he was still the captain. If anything, he seemed to be Naruto’s age, if not a bit younger. As such, he did not recognize him.

He did however, recognize the very familiar mask he was wearing. Kakashi’s chest heaved at the loss of a friend. _One who died without ever knowing the truth._

There was not much to be said to someone he did not even know, though it was refreshing not to feel like he owed explanations or an apology for a change. Kakashi supposed he would spend this day in silence, as a gesture of respect to his dead friend.

Or so he thought. 

“You have a visitor” the teen informed him, before walking away from the bars, as if to give whoever that was a sense of privacy.

Footsteps echoed for a bit through the corridor. Too soft to be Gai’s, but definitely too hard to be Itachi’s. There was almost...something mechanical about them.

The man sat up straight as if he’d just been electrocuted.

_No. It couldn’t be._

But it was.

Uchiha Obito materialized in front of him, leaning heavily on his prosthetic leg. He looked... tired.

“Sai, please excuse us” Like magic, the chakra signature was completely gone. Whoever that recruit was, he was very good.

Now truly alone, Kakashi locked eyes with his former teammate.

Obito retributed his stare, but otherwise remained silent.

The Uchiha was always significantly older than him. Both of which were a consequence of Kakashi’s amazing skills, and his own lack thereof. Nevertheless, Obito was always a loud, happy child, eager to help anyone who needed it, and always saw the bright side in things.

If you ever met Minato’s team, it would not be a surprise to believe that the black-haired man was younger than his teammate, though he was significantly taller.

That youth was nowhere to be seen now. Obito looked his age, if not impossibly older. Part of that had to do with the deep gashes that ran all the way across the right side of his face, resembling wrinkles. Most of it, however, had nothing to do with scars.

It was hard to believe his life in Konoha was to blame for all of this.

“Why…?” Kakashi started, his voice failing him. “Why are you here?”

Being spoken to so directly seemed to catch the Uchiha by surprise. He averted his gaze.

“I’m not sure.”

Kakashi studied the other man. Obito was always horrible at keeping secrets. He was anxious, loud, and always revealed his thoughts without meaning to, which was one of the reasons he’d always fail the chunin exams.

Years had passed, and the Uchiha was appointed an elite jounin sensei. _And,_ well, he managed to capture him.

It was clear he had significantly improved at everything. Still, there were physical hints he couldn’t quite eliminate, like the way he clenched his fists as if to hold back his emotions was still revealing.

Kakashi dreaded the moment he would actually find it in him to start speaking.

“Through the years, I came up with many different reasons for you to do what you did. Fear. Obeying orders. _Mercy_. It was ridiculous, how much I needed to excuse you for it” He released his fists, and let them fall back to his sides.

“I wanted to forgive you. Hell, I did forgive you. Even let you keep my eye” Kakashi frowned.

“Killing Rin was not my choice. She-”

“Threw herself on your chidori? I know. It’s the only reason I forgave you.” The words were said so casually he wanted to scream. He spent years looking for that forgiveness, and believing he didn’t deserve it.

It was why he joined the ANBU, for god’s sake. Leaving Obito alone.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The Uchiha shook his head.

“It took me some time to wrap the idea around my head. Rin was everything to me, and her loss left a hole that could not be filled.” The Uchiha’s eyes grew unfocused, lost somewhere Kakashi couldn’t quite reach.

“Still, I did it. I forgave you, and the months of secret planning my clan orchestrated meant nothing to me compared to that.”

“What are you saying?”

“My clan didn’t trust me. I was too close to the Hokage, and I wasn’t in the best mindset after everything that happened. Still, I knew they were planning something. It was impossible not to know, with the tension that irradiated from every building in the Uchiha complex.”

The information made Kakashi’s head spin.

“You knew. And you didn’t tell me. Why, Obito? I know you hated me, but sensei was in dan-“

“I was going to. They kept me out of the meetings, but I kept my ears open for the day it was going to happen, and as soon as it did, I headed towards the ANBU building to tell you that. But you, you weren’t there anymore”

Kakashi’s chest tightened. “_Protect Rin_” were the last words the younger version of Obito told him, while he carriedhim towards Minato sensei so that he could teleport back to Konoha, and save him in time.

After her passing, he took it upon himself to change the promise to “protect your friends”, but had clearly failed to do so.

Gai’s heart was broken for years. Asuma grieved alone. And… so did Obito.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen” He answered. “Minato sensei gave me an order, and I followed it. He and Naruto were my friends too, as they were yours”

Obito slammed his metal hand against the bars.

“EXACTLY! And you all left me alone here, half dead and covered in grief.” His single sharingan seemed to react to the anger in his voice, because it activated. “Do you have any idea of how I felt? You should, after what happened to your father.”

The weight of the words hung in the air between them for long moments.

“Itachi took care of me. Promoted me, and trusted me with two students, one of which you stole from me” Obito closed his eye, and inhaled deeply.

“Can you really blame me for preferring him to you?”

Kakashi tried to find the right words to say. Or any words at all, for that matter, but by then the Uchiha had walked away, without another word.

Sai’s signature appeared again seconds later, and Kakashi heard him as he positioned himself in front of the cell.

He shifted on the bunk bed, until he was facing the concrete wall. The tears fell without shame.


	21. Chapter 21

On the fourth day, his visitor was much brighter.

“My dear rival! It is such a shame to see you in such circunstancies” The Aburame that was guarding him that day had to dodge a river of tears from splashing on his uniform, and killing some of his bugs in the process.

“Hey Gai. Don’t worry, everything is alright” He forced the corners of his eyes to crinkle in a not entirely fake smile.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!! MY RIVAL IS THE BRAVEST MAN IN THE VILLAGE! Itachi-sama is doing such a disservice in keeping you trapped here!!”

That was practically dissent, and treason. Especially since Itachi kept things under such a tight grip. Luckily, Gai’s less than normal behavior was already common to every jounin around him.

Having such a bright beacon of energy around after yesterday was incredibly uplifting, he had to say. And for that, Kakashi was thankful. Even if he would never admit it.

“Oi, Gai.” Kakashi’s call broke him from his stupor.

“Hm?”

“Thank you. For putting up with all this” _And being a double agent for the leaf. _He did not have to say. It was written on Gai’s expression. He grinned.

“Now, there’s no need to get sentimental Kakashi. You’re my best friend, and this is just what friends do” He lifted his thumb affirmatively._ He truly didn’t change at all. _

“ALRIGHT! It is decided!” Gai exclaimed, catching Kakashi off guard. “I will walk around the village 3000 times using my hands, and when I’m done I will beg Itachi-sama to release you”

“No Gai, wait-”

“FEAR NOT, DEAR RIVAL! I SHALL RETURN WITH GREAT NEWS SOON!” His screams were all Kakashi still had of his presence, as he disappeared down the prison corridors.

He hoped Itachi would be kind to him. Then again, he doubted the fifth Hokage would even receive his friend in the first place.

“Senpai”

“Huh?” It was only then he noticed Yuzuya, who had removed his mask, and was now staring at him from behind his goggles. _How did he see with both that and a mask? _

“I realize you committed serious war crimes against the leaf, and it is only natural for you to be punished. But…” The ANBU swiftly lifted his right finger, and a single beetle landed on top of it. He stared at the beetle for a few seconds, as if receiving some sort of information, before the insect crawled it’s way beneath his vest. 

“I agree with Gai-san. Please know you have my support” That was more than enough words for a member of the Hokage’s inner clan to speak, let alone one of the secluded Aburame clan members.

Yuzuya did not wait for a reaction or an answer before placing the mask over his face once again, and assuming a watchful position.

As brief as that interaction had been, it’d meant the world for the copy nin.

“Yuzuya?” The ANBU did not offer any indication that he was listening, as usual.

“Thank you”

* * *

The fifth day was quiet.

It was raining heavily outside, which he supposed was one of the main reasons he was escorted to the cold showers the second there were enough shinobi in the prison to ensure that action would be possible without him escaping.

As running naked through Konoha under pouring rain was nowhere near his list of escape plans, he simply complied, though he couldn’t prevent the shivers that ripped through his body.

By the time he was escorted back to his cell (wearing the very same clothes he’d arrived in, which made him question the point of baths in the first place), there was someone standing outside it.

She was alone, arms entwined together, as she held an understandably wet raincoat beneath her growing belly. Her posture gave her a shy aura, as if she was not supposed to be there by any means.

He shared those same feelings. Of all the people he expected to possibly visit him, _she_ was most certainly not one of them.

“Was Asuma with you?” Kurenai asked, cutting straight to the point.

Kakashi eyed the ANBU at the door for a brief second on instinct, though his eyebrows rose in curiosity.

He nodded.

Her mouth hung slightly open at his reply. Then she caught herself, and tightened her grip on the coat, no longer staring into Kakashi’s eyes.

“...Is he safe?” Kakashi’s lips thinned under the mask

“I hope so”

Without any warning, she turned around, and begun walking away slowly, both her hands over her growing stomach.

“Kurenai?” She stopped immediately, but did not turn around.

“Does Iruka know you’re here?” The kunoichi stiffened as though she’d been electrocuted.

Silence.

He watched as the sides of her ribcage rise and fall slowly. Then, she simply resumed walking, leaving him with only the sounds of her footsteps on the hard floor.

* * *

On the sixth day, a different kind of visitor strolled into Kakashi’s quarters.

Tenzo dropped to his knees the second the teenager came into sight. The black hair, badge of the leaf’s police his sleeve, aligned to the uncanny similarity to his former subordinate demanded no introductions.

“Sasuke-sama. Your visit is unexpected.” Tenzo’s respectful greeting confirmed Kakashi’s thoughts.

“ I was not under the impression the chief of police needed to request time to visit his prison” The unexpected defensiveness made Tenzō comically stutter for an excuse.

“Y-you’re right. I just meant it is unusual to see you here, sir”

The silver haired nukenin cast a good look at Naruto’s rival. He was good in combat; Their single encounter revealed that much. Not jounin level, but definitely a cut above the rest, and possibly had been so from childhood.

Kakashi had vague memories of Naruto’s early life, when he’d demand to be taught something cool to beat his schoolmate. Itachi always found that hilarious. Nevertheless, his brother always had a modified version of their ANBU tactics to show. And that was certainly not the only training he received.

Despite the harsh response, collectedness exhaled off Sasuke in waves. He was an exemplary Uchiha clan member, just as it was without a doubt expected of him, given who his brother was, though that pressure wasn’t reserved to him. Obito’s younger self shared it as a well. _Being a man who would__ live and die for the clan’s values, no matter what those were._ Fugaku always kept his clan under a tight grip to ensure that.

“I suppose it is. Anyhow, the prisoner and I have history” The teenager looked at Kakashi for the very first time that day. Contrary to what the nukenin expected, there was no anger in his gaze. “He did kidnap my fiancée”

There was some warmth into how he said it, but certainly not nearly enough to be considered romantic. No. It sounded more like a role he apparently accepted.

_Sakura would never be able to settle with someone like that._ The girl was fierce, and loyal. But her morals seemed to come above her clan. In the end, even if he didn’t capture her, this wedding was bound to fail.

“Of course” Tenzo conceded, still holding his position.

If his arranged marriage with Sakura was really the reason he’d come here for, the Uchiha was certainly wasting his time.

Sasuke ignored Tenzō the same way you’d ignore a piece of furniture, and leaned against the bars.

“How are they?”

“Excuse me?”

“Naruto and Sakura” clarified Sasuke. “How are they?” The lack of any ounce of respect in the way the question was asked mixed with some genuine urgency was weird.

_Uhhh. Was he truly worried about them?_ Regardless, it was a very weird way to approach a prisoner. Especially one his brother had spent so long trying to capture.

“Does your brother know you’re here?” The question seemed to flare something up inside Sasuke.

“I’m the chief of police. I don’t need his permission to walk around my prison.” That was a no. Itachi would never allow it, just as Kakashi suspected. Though Sasuke himself did not seem sure about what he was doing.

“Just answer the question” It came out more like a plea than a demand. In fact, his entire body language screamed he was still afraid of the nukenin, though he was trying his best to pretend otherwise. It was clear him being here was a decision he made in the heat of the moment. A decision he was beginning to regret. Still, the nukenin was curious.

“They’re fine” Kakashi supplied, simply. It seemed to be enough to spark some sort of acknowledgement in the boy’s eyes. He scoffed.

“Hatake Kakashi, is it? A former legend to the leaf, and the ANBU as a whole.” Kakashi shrugged.

“What can I say? I got bored”

“Oi! Don’t speak to Sasuke-sama like that!” Tenzo barked indignantly, but a single cross eyed look from the Uchiha made him settle down.

“Yes, it seems to be happening more and more often” Kakashi frowned, but expressed no further reaction. _Where was this kid going with this? _

“Obito sensei told me about what happened at the fire temple. That _she_ chose to stay, and become a renegade instead of coming back home.” The information slipped out of his tongue as inconsequently as a spoiled teen could muster.

The renegade was thankful they hadn’t stripped him of his mask, because his jaw dropped.

_Was Obito insane? _It was understandable that Sasuke wanted information about his friend and wether she was okay or not, but he was also Itachi’s younger brother. If he let that slip just once, it would be the end of the line for Sakura.

Likewise, if Kakashi confirmed those facts in front of Tenzo, and Konoha ever managed to capture her, she would be done for.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” he replied, hopefully convincingly enough. The smug teenager now looked as if he had the carpet pulled from beneath his feet.

“I _know_ it’s true.” He highlighted. “What I don’t understand is why she would betray us like that. Especially with the position she held. And so that’s why I came here” the longer he talked, the more his calm and controlled self was replaced by desperation. “Naruto was too young to chose, but you did. Just like her. I want to know _why_”

Kakashi shrugged.

“Sorry kid. I kidnapped her, remember? She didn’t choose anything. I don’t know what you’re talking about” The crazed expression in the boy’s face lasted for only a moment, before it was replaced by a collected mask he’d seen Itachi wear so many times.

“Fine. It seems coming here was a mistake” He did not wait for a reply before walking away.

_Interesting._ Maybe there was more to Itachi’s younger brother than he previously thought. Naruto had always been great at picking his friends, after all.

When it became clear Sasuke was truly gone, Tenzo rose to his feet, letting out a tired sigh.

“Teenagers, am I right?”

“Shut up, Kakashi”

The nukenin smirked.

* * *

On the seventh day, things were different.

He was not sure of what it was. His routine was the exact same as it’d been since he was brought in; Wake up. Breakfast. Shower. Back to his cell to wait for lunch. Nevertheless, today there was a weird sensation on the pit of his stomach, and his gut feelings were never wrong.

Whatever was coming would not be good in the slightest, and he already dreaded it.

So, when Obito confidently strolled down the stone path to his cell later in the day, he’d already braced himself.

“Lord Fifth has decided on your fate”

_Oh boy..._

“And I thought I should be the one to inform you.”

“Maaa, I guess that whole bait plan was a bust, huh?” The cheerful phrase did not reflect to any extent the way his heart was hammering against his chest.

“Perhaps. Which is why Itachi-sama decided to stretch it out for four more days. If your friends refuse to show up until then, well...” he shifted his weight, so that it was perfectly balanced between both his legs, rather than leaning on the prosthetic one.

“Hatake Kakashi, by order of Lord Uchiha Itachi, the fifth Hokage of the Leaf, who had in mind your countless crimes against the leaf, as well as your desertion, you are hereby sentenced to death.


	22. Chapter 22

Most people had no idea of what their last day on earth would look like.

It was one of those things that just fell on your lap from above, and you had to play along with it. In that sense, he supposed he was privileged. Knowing that not even the sun wanted to feed him the slightest glimmer of hope, or visit him one last time before the world came crumbling down in the other hand, was very discouraging.

They came from him in the early hours of the morning. 5am sharp, 5:30 at most, if his biological clock had not been harmed by his time in the cell. Even then, it was possible to see the clouds that covered up the sky, trapping them.

There weren’t really many preparations to make before he was taken. Tenzo unlocked the cuffs around his wrists,replacing them with enough rope for his arms to hang over his stomach. Executions weren’t common inside the villagebefore Itachi took over; They were reserved to nukenin, and the few of which happened to run into capable jounin would suffer quick deaths rather than being brought back.

He was taught the procedures anyhow. A group of very specific, rigid set of rules that were to be followed in this situation, and never again in any other. This used to seem so important to him back then.

_The prisoners meant for execution were to be properly secured as to avoid any attempts of esca_ _pe. Their arms and legs were to be bound with rope rather than chains, as to make it easier for them to move, but not easy enough that they could simply get away. _

Tenzo kneeled in front of him, a large piece of rope hanging on his shaky hands for the longest of moments.

He stood up, tossing the thick rope to the side as if it’d burned him.

The ANBU escorted him through the empty hallways, evacuated just for him, until they finally reached a door (_different from the one he’d been brought in through)_ that led outside.

Obito was waiting there. Accompanied by a group of Uchihas, most of which Kakashi didn’t even know. All of which wore the police crest on their sleeves.

The elite jounin stared at his former teammate for the longest of moments.

For the first time, Kakashi looked away.

Eventually, the Uchiha entwined his arm with Kakashi’s left one. It was a common gesture. Done to increase security, and reduce his chances of escape even further. Kakashi wasn’t sure if that was all there was to it, though, nor how he should interpret the gesture.

_Executions were to be carried just outside the Hokage’s building on plain sight. The way the execution would be carried _ _out would be_ _ left entirely for the Hokage to choose._

For some reason, that had always resonated as a cruel death to him. After all, the point of doing these on plain sight was making an example of the prisoner. A way to ensure everyone knew the Hokage’s rule was final, and think twice before trying to rebel.

Lord third would only carry them out if he absolutely had to. It did not happen often, but he remembered the distaste on the professor’s expression on the few times he witnessed one, and how quickly it all ended. Lord fourth didn’t have the chance to carry one out. He doubted he ever would, even if he had the opportunity to return to his seat.

Minato sensei just didn’t share that mindset. To him, everything could be forgiven with the proper amount of time, and everyone could be reasoned with. Even now as a renegade, he always made a point of declaring the importance of recruiting carefully. He wanted to restore his position doing as little harm as possible, and needed people that understood that mindset.

He was truly the Hokage the leaf needed, and it was a shame it got ripped away from him.

Itachi was different. Had to be, as one of Danzō’s ANBU, and heir to the Uchiha clan.

_“As a Konoha chunin, I am not allowed to heal enemies. Especially traitors” Sakura met Kakashi’s eye._

_ “So you’d just rather die than break a rule?” He asked, in an icy tone._

_ “By the fifth Hokage’s laws, the punishment for doing so would already be death”_

If he was willing to kill teenagers in good faith, there was nothing to be said about nukenin, and nukenin he’d been friends with beforehand.

He just hoped he would be dealt with quickly.

As when he first arrived, people waited outside their houses and establishments while he was led through the village. This time, back to the Hokage building. Feeling the weight of it being the last time he’d probably be able of doing so, he allowed his eyes to roam through the streets.

There were no children, or even teenagers outside as far as he could tell, which he was grateful for. Itachi was not cruel to that extent, it seemed, and that was a relief. The adults however, seemed to all be outside. Their expressions mingled on his mind as he strolled by. Some were furious. Others expressed no emotion, and few seemed to be very upset. They would probably deal with the issue themselves, if the police force wasn’t positioned at every other block or so.

All of them were silent, this once. As if the weight of what was coming hung above them like a threat.

Fugaku had truly done an outstanding job with his crew. He wondered if Sasuke would also be amongst them.

The faces mingled and mashed together in his mind as he moved. _He knew most of these people._ Had grown up with them, or at least saw them around here and there, even if they never properly interacted. And yet here they were, trying their best to pretend like he was a complete stranger, probably to save their own skins from sharing his fate.

It was odd. How little the village had clearly changed, while still becoming so unbearably different.

They passed by the sweets’ shop, and the smell of Dango filled his nostrils. He’d never tasted it, no matter how much his friends begged him to. Now, his brain desperately craved for it. He ignored the sensations, deciding to pay attention to the people that stood just outside it instead.

Kurenai was one of them, along with a tanned slightly younger man he supposed was Iruka. She unconsciously held on to her stomach, while he held her other hand, in a clear gesture of support. Like many others, the two of them clearly did not want to be there.

Kurenai ignored him completely as he walked past them. He did not blame her in the slightest. Meanwhile, Iruka glared at him. There was no hate in his eyes, though. It looked more like annoyance, probably for upsetting his… whatever it is those two were.

_I’m sorry my death is such a burden to you. I’ll have the Hokage reschedule it. _He didn’t say. Still, Kakashi wanted to yell at the man, or at least make some sort of sarcastic remark about how _he_ was allowing his heavily pregnant wife to see something like this.

_Asuma would be more careful._

Then again, Asuma would be in the same position he was right now.

Eventually the sea of neatly organized and painted constructions and streets opened up, revealing the Hokage building. A wooden stage had been built a few meters in front of it sometime after he was captured. On top of Sai’s stage stood a somewhat tall pole, which was placed in the very center of it. Tied to it was a rope, laced with a knot in the end.

_Hanging. They would hang him._

He tried to fight back the anxiety that went up his throat at the sight, trying to swallow him whole. _They would hang him, and probably leave his body there for days, until the smell became too strong. The news would spread through the land of fire, no doubt. And then reach Naruto’s ears-_

_No._ He hissed at himself. If he did intend to find a way out of this, calming down was the most important step. Making a scene wouldn’t help him in the slightest. If anything, it would give them an excuse to do things faster, or secure him with stronger bindings.

He forced himself to truly look at the stage once more; Now calmer, he could see a person standing by the rope.

Under the first rays of sunlight that threatened to break through that impossibly dark sky, stood a small group of shinobi. First, a man and a woman with characteristic pink hair. Sakura’s parents were accompanied by Fugaku sama, followed by the Hokage himself.

“Hatake Kakashi” his deep tone thundered through the silent street, turning the trio’s eyes to him.

_He wasn’t smiling. _Kakashi wasn’t sure why that detail stood out to him. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen the Uchiha prodigy wear a genuine smile on his lips, even at a young age. A fate he too knew very well.

No. The new crinkles, deep eye bags, and untidy hair were what gave the man an almost grim appearance as his former captain was escorted his way, and up the made up stage.

The wood barely creaked under his feet when he stepped on it, as if the trees it was carved from had been picked out from the freshest the forest could possibly provide. _He really hoped they hadn’t forced Tenzō to build this. _

The view from above the platform was somehow even worse. The dark sky seemed to slowly loom over Konoha like a stealthy shinobi, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

It would rain soon_. Will I live long enough to see it? _

Now that he reached his final destination, the crowd collectively left the doorsteps of the houses they’d been politely standing on, and wandered into the street, closing off the passage. He stared at them, taking in their characteristics, until his eyes stopped on a very familiar dark haired head.

Gai was_ a mess,_ in the most honest sense of the word. The other man had always been a bright ray of sunlight, always seeing the positive side of things, and giving a bright, comforting smile. Those things were long gone, replaced by a serious expression and a redness around his eyes that could only mean tears.

His best friend watched him intently, as if waiting for a sign. A reason, anything really, that would justify him going up against the Hokage’s wrath, despite their painfully obvious disadvantage.

Kakashi wanted to comfort him. A smile, a sign, anything really, that would show him everything was okay. But he couldn’t.

He would be punished_. Worse_, they would discover he was the informant, and had been so for all of those years, and Kakashi’s body would not be the only one hanging loosely in the air today. Kakashi was never a perfect friend. The least he could do for all these years of comfort and understanding that was offered to him was return the favor. Even if only once.

And so, the silver haired shinobi forced himself to look away.

Now that he was next to the Hokage, both Tenzo and Obito held his arms tightly. They positioned him under the rope, the echo of what was obviously a hollow end greeting him the second he stepped over the board.

He could probably take advantage of the surprise element here, and ditch their grip. He was no doubt being watched by more shinobi, but his immediate threat would be Itachi. He would have to be fast, but he supposed he _could_ chidori a passage through the wood, and disappear in the crowd.

_And if he did all that, what would happen to Obito and Tenzō?_

He offered no resistance as they wrapped the rope around his neck with ease.

_This was it._ He only hoped Gai wouldn’t break too hard. Kakashi would not be here to protect him otherwise.

Itachi dutifully opened the scroll he’d been hanging on to.

“Hatake Kakashi” his somber tone reverberated through the packed street, turning everything it touched into an even deeper silence. “You are accused of countless crimes against the leaf village, and it’s people, including, but not limited to theft, murder, and the kidnapping of the heir to one of the most influential clans in our village”

At Sakura’s mention, the tall, pink haired man that stood next to the Uchiha seemed to come to life.

“You hear that, Hatake?!” He howled, leaving a trail of bitter spit in his wake.

“Justice will FINALLY be served. In the name of our daughter, and all other families which you so carelessly destroyed”

The silver haired man flinched.

Itachi placed a hand on his ally’s shoulder. To many, that would be seen as a comforting gesture. A proof of the strenght of the alliance between the two clans. Fugaku himself bent his head in approval.

Only both men knew what it actually meant. Mr. Haruno settled down instantly. Itachi continued.

“On top of those crimes, as the captain of one of the most important ANBU squadrons, you are also guilty of desertion, and the abandonment of your comrades at such painful times, to honor a Hokage who’s list of crimes is not any shorter, and a jinchuriki which, if left unchecked, could destroy us all” He let the words sink in with the crowd, which seemed to shrink in itself with fear.

Naruto wasn’t dangerous, and he did not deserve their hatred. Letting people think he was, though, would protect him.

Maybe in a different universe he would have been allowed to have a normal life, friends, and the admiration of the leaf. Perhaps he could even become the Hokage. The idea almost made him snort. _Okay, maybe that was a bit too far_. Kakashi wasn’t sure of his own role in that universe. _A jounin sensei, perhaps?_ The idea was ridiculous to him, almost as much as the first. Still, if there could ever be an universe where Naruto could have the life he deserved, he hoped he could wish it into existence somehow.

“For all the crimes listed, you are hereby condemned to hang to death in a public execution, so that others who may be inspired by your actions are also aware of the fate they led to.” The Hokage tilted his head slightly, and from behind the Haruno and Fugaku a tall, masked ANBU emerged. He moved forward, until he was standing side by side with a lever.

Kakashi’s heart skipped a beat.

“Does the traitor have any last words they might like to share?” _Silence._

Kakashi’s eye desperately roamed through the crowd, surprisingly findind the heads of the Ino-shika-cho clans. Shikaku nodded in respect. Inoichi seemed disgusted. Choza offered him a comforting smile.

Kakashi shakily mirrored it below his mask.

“May the will of fire burn forever, for the legitimate Hokage, and the hidden leaf village!” He belted.

_Whispers. Commotion._ And the most priceless of looks in the faces of the corrupt elite of the leaf.

Itachi’s death glare reached the executioner, who took hold of the lever.

_Naruto... stay safe._

The lever creaked as it was moved forward. Kakashi closed his eyes as the floor disappeared beneath his feet.

A lightning cracked through the crowd, crashing through the gallows, and somehow magically stopping imediately below his feet. It took him a second to balance his chakra control enough that he could stand on top of it.

Kakashi’s heart hammered on his chest as he looked down at the one thing keeping him from choking to death;

It was a sword. _His_ sword, to be exact. With the only visible difference being a few very familiar markings on the grip.

He barely had time to process what was happening when a figure materialized in front of him.

Spiky yellow hair covered his head, and the white robes he wore flopped down with his movements, making the red engravings in it visible.

The entire crowd gasped.

“M-Minato sensei!”


	23. Chapter 23

The yellow flash of the leaf took in his surroundings. It was the very first time he stepped foot in the leaf for over ten years, and an awful lot had changed.

In a way, he was aware of those changes. Through informants and allies, he had been able to keep himself mostly updated about Itachi’s rule.

It was his fault, much as anyone who still supported him would say otherwise from time to time. Nothing could change the fact that in his effort to protect his son, and honor his deceased wife, he’d left, and stood aside for years, allowing all of this to happen. And it had bothered him to no end.

To actually see and _feel_ the difference with his own senses, however, was completely suffocating.

This time, he had no intention to leave.

“M-Minato sensei!” Kakashi’s raspy voice, caused by the rope that was now uncomfortably rubbing against his neck in the awkward position he was forced to balance himself in, reached his ears.

Minato’s blue eyes met the beaten up young adult, with a hint of sadness. He smiled reassuringly.

“Everything will be okay now, my dear student” The words would have to be enough for now, as the initial shock of his presence seemed to be wearing off the menacing chakra signatures that there stood.

“Namikaze Minato” Itachi whispered, in disbelief. Nevertheless, his sharingan glowed dangerously. “I thought you were smarter than this”

The Fourth Hokage shrugged.

“We all have our disappointments” Minato could not shake away the feeling of someone staring at him intensely. He allowed his eyes to wander off Itachi momentarily, until they found the source. The other man had not aged much at all from their last meeting, which matched the comfortable life he probably had. Fugaku stared at him as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Like for example, being betrayed by one of my most trusted ANBU, despite all the support I offered the Uchiha. Frankly, I never expected such a thing.” Minato completed, still holding his gaze.

“Yes” The head of the Uchiha clan agreed, in a somewhat low tone. “You only forgot to mention that support included wiping out my entire clan. Women and children too”

“That is unfortunately true. I did not control my counselors as well as I should have, and it led to tragic consequences.”

“You killed my daughter!” Mrs. Haruno cried out, in a mix of tears and hurt. She rushed for the fourth Hokage, but her husband wisely prevented such a thing.

Minato’s expression softened.

“Your daughter is alive. I wish I did not have to resort to kidnapping, but I had no choice. My own son was in danger, and without the proper medical care, he would be dead.” It took a moment for her to process he was calmly talking to her, but once it happened, the sheer shock was enough to make her stop struggling. “ Forgiveness may be a reach, but as a parent, I hope you can at the very least understand me.”

He turned to the crowd, waving his black cloak as he did so.

“I take full responsibility for the mistakes made during my rule, as well as not being here to support you through the hardships like a true Hokage should. It is why I am here to try and fix this one. If any of you still have faith in me, I ask you to lend your strength to the Akatsuki now. Let’s make this village a place we can be proud of again!” Minato lifted his right arm to encourage the crowd, while simultaneously clenching his left fist around the Kunai on his pocket. Itachi laughed.

“You have been gone for a long time, but I trust you know the leaf village became a very powerful force in your absence. The allies you’ve gathered through the years according to my teams are here to help you, no doubt. Still, choosing to have this battle _here_ will demand a lot more than just _you__, _and a handful of foolish villagers to ensure a victory” Itachi did not move from his previous position, but two ANBU took his side, standing in front of Fugaku and the Haruno.

In the crowd, a few familiar faces shifted.

Minato smiled.

“You are absolutely right”

The fourth Hokage lifted his hands, and immediately begun making seals. He was almost finished with them by the time the ANBU reacted.

Minato ducked, avoiding the shuriken that had been aimed straight to his chest.

“Stop him!” Itachi ordered, and the shinobi immediately sprung into action. In the crowd, the police force followed suit.

“kuchiyose no jutsu!” The seal spread like wildfire through the ground, drowning the entire scenario into a white poof of smoke. The crowd wooed in surprise.

Itachi jumped reflexively, landing on a rooftop a few meters away, out of the smoke’s reach below. The ANBU mirrored his steps, landing next to him in unison.

Taking advantage of their position, the Hokage activated his sharingan, trying to see movement through the fog. He was relieved to see his father safely coming out of it, holding both of their allies by their arms. The trio was soon joined by other members of the police force, and escorted away.

“Be prepared for anything” he ordered, watching as the white smoke slowly dissipated.

It wasn’t long before it revealed two large summons, which were a frog and slug. A group of people stood on top of the creatures.

Itachi squinted at the distance, his blurry vision doing him no favors.

“There’s twelve of them, Hokage-sama” The woman supplied.

“What do they look like?”

“Their appearance is very diverse, sir. Most of them are men. 10 are wearing black robes with red clouds on them. The other two, are an elderly man and a woman, respectively. Wait-”

“Are those the Sannin?!” A male voice asked, from somewhere beneath them.

“We actually go by Akatsuki now” answered Jiraya, confidently. The crowd replied with mixed sounds of horror and excitement.

“yes!” agreed Tsunade. “Uchiha Itachi, you’ve been left unchecked for far too long. On the name of Lord Third, our Sarutobi sensei, It’s time we take care of that”

“Ooooh whatever.” One of the figures behind her scowled. “I know there’s some sort of like, huge family feud here going on, but can we just run along so that I get paid?!” He took hold of the handle that hung from his back, revealing a triple bladed red scythe; The masked man on his left perked an eyebrow.

“I thought you didn’t care about money”

“Come on, you know I don’t. The sacrifices I will be able to make to my Lord Jashin, on the other hand...”

“_Tsc._ Whatever” The uninterested reply seemed to upset the renegade deeply.

“I had suspicions the frog sage would support his former student, but to see the legendary medical nin from the leaf consorting with renegades? Tragic. Though I suppose it should be expected from the students of the Hokage who authorized the extermination of an entire clan” Itachi made a single gesture with his hand, and a larger group of ANBU materialized in front of him. All of which held kunai.

The police force stood attentive in the crowd.

“Perhaps that is true. However, our will is still the one of loyalty which should burn brightly inside every shinobi of the leaf. To our ancestors, and their hopes and dreams of what this village should be. Something you’d never understand”

Itachi remained expressionless.

The hand seals practically flew from his fingers.

“Fire style: fireball jutsu!” The massive fireball was aimed it at the sannin.

The red haired shinobi that stood next to Jiraya exposed his purple eye.

The fireball crashed against it’s target, exploding into a sea of flames, and completely obliterating his enemies. 

And then the group of shinobi appeared behind him, completely unharmed.

_That eye... was it...?_

The yellow flash of the leaf was the fastest ninja the leaf village ever knew. Possibly even the entire ninja world. So when the cold steel of a kunai was pressed against his neck, almost simultaneously as the bodies of his two bodyguards hit the floor, Itachi could not say he was surprised.

“You and I need to have a conversation elsewhere” said Minato.

And just like that, they were both gone.

After the initial aftershock, none of the shinobi on either side needed to be told twice.

Ninja weapons, broken glass, as well as dead bodies laid scattered on the ground, staining the buildings and streets with red, and an intense iron smell.

Uzumaki Naruto ignored all that, as well as the pounding adrenaline in his chest, as he and sakura slowly sneaked their way to the platform. _His nii-san was still there._ Alive, but struggling to maintain himself above the thin sword.

Naruto inhaled deeply, tightening his chakra signature so closely to his body he believed he’d tear it in half, and took a few tentative steps forward.

No one had noticed them there yet, thanks to the chaos, and he intended to take full advantage of that fact.

_His feet swiftly moved up the stairs, and hovered over the top-_

“Hold it there, scaredy-cat” The lightening bathed sword cracked relentlessly against his right ear, and the little sparks that broke off from it prickled at the scars on his cheek.

“Sasuke” He said, gently. Darkness that hadn’t been there all those weeks ago hovered on his former friend’s eyes, standing out greatly under the bluish light. He looked unbelievably tired and troubled all at once, and if they were any younger, Naruto would have promptly asked why.

“You shouldn’t have returned” he stated. Naruto’s chest rose and fell slowly.

“My brother needs me” For the briefest or seconds, a glimmer of an emotion the blonde could not quite recognize covered Sasuke’s expression.

He tightened his grip on the sword.

Naruto shifted his feet.

“So does mine”

Sasuke lifted his arm, the electricity moving past the blade’s edge, a true testimony to his impressive chakra control.

_ They had been friends once. But it was clearly too late to fix that. _

Naruto closed his eyes, allowing the fox’s chakra to slowly take over...

“STOP!” Sakura pushed the blonde to the side with such strength he went over the stairs, landing on his side with a grunt. She stood defiantly in front of the blade.

Stunned, Sasuke let the chakra fade.

“Sakura-Chan” Naruto’s tone was uncertain, and the orange chakra still somewhat coated his limbs. Nevertheless, Sakura’s piercing green eyes held both boys in place.

“Naruto” She replied, calmly. “Go save Kakashi”

“But-“

“It’s okay. Sasuke won’t hurt me” The security in her voice was reassuring enough for the last bits of orange to fade completely. By that point, determination filled his gaze.

He pushed himself to his feet, inching towards the renegade.

_Sasuke should stop him. _Would have, if Sakura’s penetrating gaze had not been locked on him.

She was different from when they last met. Stronger, for sure. But also fierce, and even somewhat dangerous.

“What you’re doing is treason.” He informed her, politely.

“No” she said, on a tone far harsher than the one she’d used moments before. “I’m loyal to the leaf, and all of the villagers in it, as I should be” Her eyes softened. “Don’t you remember, Sasuke-Kun? The future we wanted to build together?”

* * *

_Sakura crossed the empty street that led to the barrier that separated the rest of the village from the Uchiha clan. As soon as she walked through it, it was as if she’d entered a completely different universe. _

_The neighborhood was completely decorated in bright colors, and loud music could be heard everywhere. The clan members happily walked around through the streets, cheerfully talking to each other, and ushering heartfelt congratulations. _

_It bothered her deeply. _

_Naruto and his dad had been gone for three days now, and she knew it was their fault. Lord fifth had said horrible things about them, which just weren’t true! Well... the things he said about Naruto weren’t. _

_Still, daddy told her not to talk about it. It would be rude to their new friends. And besides, being rude wouldn’t be good to her, since she was going to start having different lessons with the Hokage’s brother!_

_She knew Sasuke-kun growing up, of course. He was really good at school, and would always get gifts from Iruka sensei. Sasuke was never mean to her, but he and Naruto would argue all the time, and she didn’t want to hurt her friend. _

_“He’s not going to come back, sweetheart. The faster you accept that and move on, the better for you” mommy had said, somewhat relieved._

_Sakura knew it was a lie! Naruto and her were soo close! He wouldn’t do that! _

_But for now, she had no choice but to obey her parents. And so, she walked into the Uchiha district, towards a very big house, like she was told to. _

* * *

_“So, I think we should probably introduce ourselves. My name is Uchiha Obito! I will be your sensei from now on” Obito-sensei said, giving them a bright smile, and scratching the back of his head with his metal arm. Sakura was amazed by it. _

_“Nice to meet you, sensei!” She cheered. Sasuke-kun rolled his eyes. _

_“Whatever. I’ve known you since I was a baby” The comment made their sensei blush. _

_“Right. Still, this is something all the sensei do to their kids. How about you say your names, and a bit more about yourselves?”_

_“Like what?”_

_“Hmm... how about your names, and a dream you have for the leaf village of the future? You go first, Sakura”_

_“Alright! I’m Haruno Sakura. My dream for the leaf village of the future is... uhhh... that the village becomes a place for everyone” Sensei perked his brow._

_“Is that so?”_

_“She’s right.” Intervened Sasuke. “The village should be for everyone. Which is why nii-san will do his best to make everyone happy” _

_“I see” Obito replied, smiling shyly. “There’s only one problem with that” Obito frowned. _

_The two children gasped. _

_“What is it, cousin?”_

_“You forgot to introduce yourselves”_

* * *

He broke eye contact.

“Uchiha are loyal to their own”

“True. And so your brother staged a coup all those years ago to protect your clan. But what of all the other clans we are sworn to protect?”

His face fell.

“Of course, in making Konoha a prosperous, strong military village to protect your clan, other clans were alsobenefited. But what of the peaceful future we wanted for _everyone?_ Surely, if everyone behaves the same way for fear of punishment, then they will be protected. But does that really make people happy? Should we really throw everyone’s free will away just for our clans to feel comfortable?”

He took a step backward.

“I...”

“Your brother was a good man” Hatake Kakashi’s deep tone cut through the convo. He was mercifully free now, standing only a few feet away, though leaning heavily against Naruto’s body.

When Sasuke did not reply, he took his cue.

“He believed all the clans of the leaf should coexist peacefully under the Hokage’s leadership, and be treated the exact same way, instead of just a few selected ones. But I’m afraid he got lost somewhere along the way.” Sasuke’s features hardened.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look around you”

The simplistic answer silenced him instantly. Sasuke wasn’t sure what in his words spiked such curiosity he believed he should obey, but he did.

By this point, chaos had scattered through the entire village. From where the shinobi were standing, it was already possible to see torn buildings, as well as blasts of chakra and flying ninja tools in the distance, as well as really closely. The entire village was at war, and the explosions and intelligible screams mingled through the air, making it impossible for him to know who was winning.

Within sight, shinobi from both sides ruthlessly battled. Some wore the heavy black cloaks that marked the Akatsuki members. But others were leaf village shinobi, he realized. Slashing away at Uchiha clan members as if they were fighting fir their lives, until said Uchiha fell to the ground, defeated.

The unmistakable smell of iron penetrated his nostrils.

A few raindrops fell on the nape of his neck.

“You say family means a lot to you” Sakura’s tone was a lot softer now, as she moved to stand in front of Naruto and Kakashi, obviously shielding them from his rage.

“Then help us create a future the Uchiha children would be proud of. Not because they were raised to be, but because they truly feel that way themselves.”

_Silence._

“What happened to you” he finally asked, shakily putting the sword down.

“I learned who I am, and what I stand for.” She answered, without faltering. “Sasuke-kun… can you say the same?”

The weight of her words hung heavily around the two of them.

Sasuke’s gaze moved past Sakura, to his former best friend. His ocean blue eyes were fixed on Sakura’s back, and shone with an emotion the Uchiha knew all too well. Though she was not looking at him, they were matched perfectly by his fiancée’s eyes.

_Just like his brother and Izumi. _

The Uchiha looked away.

“Go” he said, lowly.

The trio of renegades did not need to be told twice.

The Kunoichi took hold of the silver haired man’s right side, and alongside the jinchuriki, begun moving in the direction the former Hokage and his brother had disappeared to.

“Sakura?” She turned, one final time.

“I have to protect my brother” he warned, somewhat helplessly.

“I know”

“...Be careful” She smiled at him.


	24. Chapter 24

The street tapped under their feet as they snuck their way forward; Lord Fourth used his teleportation jutsu on himself and Itachi in order to move to a more private place when they arrived, just as they had planned, after Naruto and herself relayed all the information they had to the rest of the organization.

_“I should be able to quickly subdue him and move elsewhere before anyone can react.” Minato said, somewhat strongly. _

_“And leave the unimaginable mess that will surface afterwards for us. Naturally” Jiraya pointed out, in na oddly cheerful manner. But after Kakashi, Sakura had learned things weren’t what they seemed. Minato recoiled at the statement. _

_“I’m kidding” Jiraya added, waving his hand around dismissively. “With the amount of powerful shinobi we have on our side, we should be able to defeat them without a lot of trouble.” He seemed to believe the elder’s words, which made the blonde relax somewhat. _

_“R-right. Anyway, as I was saying, most of our forces will stay to distract the shinobi that stay after their Hokage is abducted. In the meantime, Naruto will take advantage of the distraction, and rescue Kakashi.”_

_Determination and pain filled Naruto’s eyes. He nodded. “Of course.”_

_“It seems like a good plan” Sakura commented, genuinely surprised at how strategical Minato was. “If we all play our parts, things should be okay.” _

_“Yes... which is why I will need your help with something really important.”_

Everything had worked gracefully that far, and she was determined to keep things that way.

“Are you sure you’re okay to keep going?” She asked once more, forcing her feet into a halt, as the trio leaned against yet another random house wall. This time, the jutsu that crashed against the bricks was a lightning type.

Naruto did not even have to try, before the unconscious, somewhat burnt body fell to the floor in front of them.

There was not a lot Sakura knew about Naruto’s father, but she knew Itachi. Sasuke’s older brother had been a constant figure in her life ever since their families became allies. He was intelligent, logical and methodical. What very few people knew was that there was more than that to him; _Kindness_. It would surface whenever he was talking to his younger brother, or his fiancée. It was enough for her to know that he wasn’t evil. Paranoid, and excessively cautious, no doubt, but not evil.

As such, she hoped he would be able to reason with._ For all of their sakes._

“I’m fine” Kakashi supplied, obviously sucking air in through his teeth. _That was not a good sign._ She scrambled through her mind for all of the prison procedures she knew, which were certainly not many.

Prisoners were rare in the ninja world after all, no matter the Kage responsible for their arrest.

Kakashi had no physical signs of beatings, or torture; he’d said Itachi left him alone, but she made sure to check, just in case. With that scenario out of the way, she had to consider other options.

Such as starvation, for example. “_It keeps them compliant, and easier to deal with”_ Obito Sensei had said, as naturally as anything else to his two wide eyed students. The starvation allied to the freezing cold water of the rain would no doubt help in causing some level of hypothermia, even though shinobi were theoretically trained to handle these situations.

Focusing your chakra and will power demanded energy, and he was starving for... a week? Less? She didn’t know, but it would be wise to assume the worst case scenario. It was impressive he was still standing as such. Nevertheless, it seemed the heavy rain was mercifully keeping them safe from any other shinobi who could be looking for a fight.

She spared a glance at the renegade boy which she’d grown to know so well.

The deep concern that plagued his features for Kakashi’s sake ever since that fateful day in the canyons might have disappeared, but it was still replaced by a similar, if not worse one.

Sakura did not want to know what would happen in case they failed to convince Itachi to cooperate with them. But she would take what she could get for now.

“He’s fine. How close are we to my dad?” Naruto asked, pulling the older shinobi from the wall, so he could lean on his shoulder once more.

“Not far” She replied. And indeed. The chakra signatures that corresponded those two men and their ferocious battle hung heavily in the air, like a damp cloth. It was however much worse the closer they got, and she wasn’t entirely sure of what they would find by the time they caught up.

“Alright. Follow me” she said, darting through yet another of the leaf village’s corners. As expected by that point, the amount of houses and buildings in general begun dissipating, being replaced by the rocky landscape of the mountains.

Sakura wasn’t entirely sure of who the inhabitants of that side of the leaf were, but it did not seem like something she needed to strongly worry about. Whoever lived in that area was definitely out of their houses at that point, if the massive battle that raged on was any indication.

Sakura could only be thankful for that, as she raced alongside them, being careful not to slip on the wet road.

_“Katōn..”_

_“Wind style: rasengan!”_ Naruto’s chakra ball collided with the flames, splitting them in all directions, and creating a layer of steam under the heavy rain.

“Get down!” Kakashi barked, and the two shinobi did not need to be told twice.

The adrenaline boost filled them with renewed strength, and the trio took a sharp turn, taking cover behind a somewhat large bolder on the roadside.

“Sakura!!!!” Even with the rain, his words were as clear as day. “Are you sure you don’t want to stop this? Side the village, and your friends, instead of staining your family’s name?”

_Her family’s name. _Sakura shook her head, all too aware of the fact he couldn’t see her.

“Never, sensei. I told you, they’re doing the right thing. Stop this! You can help us!” He chuckled, his metallic footsteps becoming the only indication he was inching closer.

“Sorry to say, my beloved student, but this little adventure of yours ends here. Yours, and that of the filthy renegades you so stubbornly carry with you.”

The shinobi eyed each other, waiting for the impending blow that never came. Instead, the air started getting heavier around them. Harder to breathe. Sakura looked on to the few trees below, and then to the village even further down. They seemed to be warped, somehow. As if she was getting dizzy, or hit her head really hard.

Sakura blinked, trying to clear away the distortions, while unconsciously breathing harder each passing moment. They needed to get out of there. But how, when the pressure increased each passing moment?

“OBITO, STOP!” Kakashi shouted, before forcing himself to get up, and face her teacher.

Just like that, the sensations were gone. _Had Obito sensei done that...?_ When she thought about it, they never went on a mission as harsh as this, or even close to it. Obito sensei never had to push himself as harshly as he was doing now.

_He is a jounin of the leaf. _She reminded herself. _There are probably several jutsu of his you don’t know. Ones he uses in emergencies, such as this._

Both her and Naruto followed Kakashi’s lead, one on each side. Sakura did not dare stop the chakra flow that heightened her senses.

The Uchiha was actually a lot closer than she’d expected him to be. Nothing about his expression was familiar to her, though. If anything, it filled her mind with terror.

“We both know you don’t want these kids.” Obito’s left eyebrow perked up at Kakashi’s words.

“Really? Because one of them is the jinchuuriki that could destroy the village in the blink of an eye. And the other... well. My wayward student” Obito’s sharingan had a new pattern when it landed on her. Almost like a shuriken, with prolongued, sharp edges. He smiled, in a way he used to smile whenever they were training.

She held back a shiver.

“You’re not going anywhere near her-“ Naruto started, but Kakashi stretched his arm out. Naruto searched his brother’s eyes for an explanation, but Kakashi’s focus was entirely on Sakura’s teacher.

_His former best friend._

“Naruto is not a danger to anyone. He’s a person, and he can control himself” Kakashi said, clearly aiming it at both of them, though the Uchiha would never know that. Naruto straightened out his posture.

“And Sakura is only doing what she believes is right. Just like _you_ used to.” As soon as those last words left Kakashi’s lips, something sparkled dangerously behind Obito’s eye.

“You would know, wouldn’t you? You’re wearing the proof of that on your face right now!” Kakashi nodded once, very slowly.

“I am. And I am sorry about how things turned out between us, Obito. I really am. I’m so-“

“CAN IT, KAKASHI! IM NOT LOOKING FOR YOUR EXCUSES!” Obito’s words were sharper than a knife now. And so were the hand seals he was making, under Kakashi’s watchful sharingan.

“Fire style: fireball jutsu!” The two fireballs connected with each other, equal in everything, including stamina, before burning out entirely. By the time they faded out, Obito was no longer there.

“Nii-San!” Naruto shouted, just in time for Obito to jump from behind the cloud of thick smoke, right above them.

Kakashi dodged the attack, but not with enough ease to remain unharmed. Obito’s hand wrapped around the hilt of his anbu sword, pulling it out entirely.

“This is a hero’s weapon” Obito examined the sword. “Something you don’t deserve, by any stretch of imagination. Nevertheless, something appropriate to take your life with”

Obito attached the sword to his metal arm, safely securing it. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw Naruto’s cape moving. Sakura was opposite to him, on the other side. It was clear they were planning to corner his former friend.

What they had apparently not realized, was that Obito had already noticed their movements.

“_Don’t_!” He hissed, causing the duo to stop dead on their tracks. “This battle has been a long time coming, guys. It does not concern you”

With that, Obito’s attack was frustrated. Still, he kept a sickly smirk on his face.

“You know, I’m staring to agree with you”

Gathering what little chakra he had left on his left hand, Kakashi felt the electricity burn around his palm, illuminating the environment with a blue tone.

“Great. It means we’re making progress”

The two shinobi dashed forward then, until Kakashi’s lightening connected with the blade in Obito’s hand, spreading electricity through the entire thing, all the way to Obito’s arms.

The dark haired man let the sword fall as his arm malfunctioned, and Kakashi took the chance to deliver a punch straight to the side of his face.

“Yeah, Nii-San! Get him, dattebayo!” Cheered Naruto.

The battle that followed was made up of taijutsu, with an occasional elemental strike. Nevertheless, it remained just as ferocious as before, if not worse. The intensity of the emotions emanating from both those man was not something Sakura had ever experienced before, not even when Kakashi first took her in the forest.

The renegade put up a good fight, managing to dodge most of Obito sensei’s erratic blows, and even return some of them. Sakura wondered how this fight would be if he was at full capacity.

“You know we don’t have to do this, right?” Kakashi stepped on the hilt of his sword, making it rise just enough for him to grab it with his left arm. He swung at Obito, who used his arm as a shield, blocking the blow.

As it was, they were almost evenly balanced. It didn’t take long, however, for the prison experience to take its toll on the renegade. And so, he missed a punch, and Obito retributed with a foot to his jaw.

“AARGH” he grunted, flying backwards through the now muddy terrain, until his back connected with the side of a house.

Kakashi fell completely still.

“NO!” Naruto bolted, and she followed after him, Kunai in hands. _Could she really do it? _Hurt her teacher?

_Kage bunshin no jutsu!_

Through proofs of smoke, a handful of Narutos appeared, joining the fight. Sakura had heard about the technique before, of course, but she’d never had the chance to see it in action. At least, not with that many clones, or skill.

The copy bodies, however, seemed to be a lot weaker than the original. And though they seemed to share Naruto’s combat skills, Obito Sensei quickly begun to bring them down, one by one.

His effort gave enough time for her and the original Naruto to reach Kakashi’s passed out self, and begin dragging him away.

“You two!” Obito hissed menacingly, once the last of the shadow clones popped out in front of him.

“Ignore him, just hurry!” She told Naruto, desperately trying to focus chakra on her arms and shoulder, so that she could carry Kakashi more easily.

“Sure!” The two of them willingly picked up the pace, darting forward and up the hill. However, there was absolutely no way they could outrun sensei, no matter how tired he’d gotten. On top of that, it seemed the earlier battle had destroyed all the possible hiding spots they had, leaving them completely open to his attacks.

_Katon..._

The fireballs exploded one after the other, missing them by inches. Sakura was not aware her teacher had that much chakra in the first place. She could only hope for it to end soon, or some sort of miracle to save them from the situation.

The hill grew steeper and steeper as they went, and it didn’t take long for her legs to start cramping at the excessive weight and effort. It was clear that Naruto too, was feeling the effects of their extended run. She glanced at her shoulder, but Kakashi’s eyes were still closed.

And then, her leg gave out, throwing the three of them on the muddy ground.

“Finally. You guys put up a good fight, but in the end, trash like him ends up getting what it deserves” Obito sensei panted as he spoke, slowing down his race. From where they all laid, it seemed blood was beginning to pool the middle of his thigh, where the prosthesis was attached to.

None of that seemed to matter in the slightest to him. After all those years, he would _finally_ avenge Rin’s death, and the broken vow that followed. Most importantly, he would save Sakura from sharing that same fate.

Obito stopped, watching as the children desperately tried to get to their feet, and drag Kakashi’s body along with them. For once, the traitor hadn’t lied; Kyuubi’s vessel was nothing more than a sentimental child.

Itachi sama would be pleased. And perhaps, even forgive Sakura, if he could convince her to listen to reason. For now, however, he’d only waste chakra in sending them to the other dimension, until he could gather enough people to deal with the boy.

_And then, he’d finish_ _ Kakashi once and for all._

Obito’s eye spun furiously, before assuming the format of the mangekyo sharingan.

“_Kamui_!”

So that was the name of the jutsu that caused the weird sensation. Sakura threw herself over Kakashi’s body, nails digging at the already tattered cloth. Naruto did the same, laying on top of her.

The pressure intensified impossibly around them. Sakura closed her eyes.

“_Mokuton: Shichūrō no jutsu!_” A deep male voice exclaimed. As if by magic, wood started emerging from the ground, right beneath Obito sensei, successfully trapping him in a cage.

In his shock, he released the jutsu. Sakura could breathe again.

“What!? How?” Asked Obito, somewhat surprised.

And then, an ANBU with a cat mask stepped up.

“You. _You_.”Hissed the Uchiha. “We should have known you’d be loyal to the senjū, who created you in the first place. However, you’ll pay for this! Itachi-“

But it seemed the masked man could not care less about the empty threats. Instead, he simply approached Sakura and Naruto, kneeling beside them.

“How is he?” He whispered, reminding Sakura of the entire reason for that situation in the first place.

“Not good. Between the jail starvation, and the current battle, it seems as if he’s almost all out of chakra.” She supplied. The man then reached out for his back pocket-

Naruto grabbed his arm.

“Calm down. I’m not going to hurt him. Kakashi senpai and I were very good friends” The ease in which he said the words made Naruto slowly relent.

“A friend of nii-san’s? He didn’t say anything about you” the teen pouted, but let go of Yamato’s arm.

“That’s because for a very long time, he and I had a disagreement, and stopped speaking to one another. But now, I finally understand what he was trying to do”. From his back pocket, he pulled three seeds, and then proceeded to pull Kakashi’s mask down.

Sakura looked away immediately, unable to help the silly blush that ran up her cheeks.

“Which was?” Naruto asked, not wanting him to stop there.

“Protect you, of course” Nothing else needed to be said from that. _ANBU’s bonds were formed by blood...._

The ANBU placed the seeds inside the man’s mouth, and then made pressure on his throat.

“This should do it” he said, to no one in particular. By the time Sakura looked at Kakashi again, everything was in place.

“What were those seeds?” She asked.

“Chakra regeneration boosters. They won’t refill his chakra completely, but it will definitely be enough to make him wake up soon. Here” he pulled a few more from his pouch, handing them to the teenagers. “In case you too need to regain your strength”

Sakura put one against her lips, and chewed on it. She felt better instantly.

“Thank you” Feeling safer now that she had tasted them, naruto did the same. The man simply nodded.

“You’re welcome. Now go. Hokage-sama And Uchiha Itachi are battling right above the stone face monument.” He spared a glance back at Obito, who was still fuming from behind the bars.

“I will hold him back.”

“Okay” said Sakura.

“Naruto?” The man asked, one final time. The blonde simply stared at him, curiosity stamped on his features.

“Tell your nii-San I’m really sorry”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand I’ll leave it here for today. How’s everyone doing in this quarantine? I hope all these chapters can keep you guys busy. I’ll finish it off tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!


	25. Chapter 25

The Hokage monument was a striking sight.

It was the first thing visitors and enemies alike would see when arriving on Konoha, and by far one of the most memorable constructions of all hidden villages. 

Seeing the faces of all the Hokage engraved in stone watching over the village would inspire many different reactions in people. To some, safety. To others, respect, and even devotion.

Fear was a common emotion as well, even to people that had been born in the village, and Minato had to say it wasn’t completely unfounded. After all, the men who earned the privilege of having their faces carved there were very powerful, and would do everything in their power to keep the will of fire alive.

It was that same sense of duty and determination that Minato felt right there and then, as he dueled to the death with Uchiha Itachi.

“Amaterasu!” Dark flames magically erupted from the Uchiha’s eye, giving Minato only seconds to teleport towards his nearest marking. Itachi was an awfully skilled man, and had been so from childhood. Minato could still recall how highly Fugaku spoke of him.

As it was, Minato too had been considered a prodigy at his time, and the duo seemed to have matched up forces. Nevertheless, battles this intense left little to no space for mistakes.

All it would take was one tiny little thing being out of place, like a foot turned a few inches too far to the left, or a hand sign done a second too late, and the battle would be decided. The thought was anxiety inducing, but the fourth Hokage knew better than to give into that.

He held his palm out, until a somewhat large chakra ball appeared.

“Do you really believe I will let you get close enough to use that?” Itachi asked, as calmly as ever, even though the toll of the battle was undoubtedly affecting him as well. A characteristic Minato reciprocated.

“Are you sure this is necessary?” He supplied, keeping his eyes trailed on Itachi’s feet. It was a technique Kakashi had taught him, and one he perfected through the years, wether through friendly sparring or actual battles. Not looking at a sharingan was the only way not to get caught in a genjutsu, after all, and the fifth Hokage was a specialist at those.

“Look at all the damage we’re doing to the village. To our own people, with this. Are you sure we can’t reach an agreement?” Minato took a few tentative steps to the left, which made Itachi mirror his movements, but to the opposite side.

“The last time an Uchiha tried to strike a deal with you, the entire clan was almost exterminated.” They kept the careful dance, Itachi now edging closer to the border, forcing his enemy to step backward, until he stood above the third Hokage’s head.

“I believe we are far past that stage.”

Minato recoiled. “Very well”

Itachi kept moving, forcing Minato to go closer and closer to the third Hokage’s hairline, and even past that. Suddenly, he was on the edge of the nose of Sarutobi-sama. Itachi seemed interested in the perspective. In fact, he did not stop until he was standing over the Hokage’s heads himself.

The teleportation jutsu lived up to it’s lightning name, and a second later Minato had appeared right behind Itachi.

The rasengan exploded against his back.

* * *

The trio of renegades finally finished their painful climb. Naruto wiped the sweat off his forehead.

“Look” commented Kakashi, eyes fix on the battle unfolding a few meters in front of them.

The battle was ferocious, really. More than any other battle Sakura had ever witnessed before. It was no secret Sasuke’s brother was a skilled shinobi as all Hokages were, but to actually see him in action, and under such dark circumstances was news to her.

_A Hokage should protect the village at all costs. _Was this the meaning behind that saying?

Naruto instantly used the sleeve of the cloak to cover his eyes, as his father’s jutsu exploded against Itachi-sama’s back.

“Yes! Way to go, dad!” He loudly cheered, throwing a few punches to the air. Not many enemies could survive his father’s rasengan with such a precise strike!. The war was practically over, _finally_!

* * *

The bright lights of the explosion rendered the former Hokage momentarily blind - An appropriate price for the effective blow he delivered; He was no longer able to sense Itachi’s chakra signature.

Had he won...? _No._ He knew better than letting his guard down at this point.

The former Hokage carefully moved, trying to take in his surroundings, and locate himself. His sight slowly returned, and he spotted a shape, somewhere further down.

Minato crouched, taking hold of the marked kunai he’d used a few moments earlier. The same trick would not work twice, probably, but he could get creative if he had to.

He started walking slowly towards the figure, preparing himself for a backhanded strike.

The breeze caught on his hair, turning the sweat at the sides of his face into icy cold trails, and making him even more alert. Minato dropped his arm.

_That wasn’t Itachi._ It was Naruto.

His son was celebrating excitedly, next to him Kakashi, who thankfully appeared to be unharmed, and surprisingly, Sakura.

He held back na amused snort. His son did have the habit of drawing people closer to him, no matter the situation. He supposed that fact remained true, even for high ranking officials of the enemy.

Speaking of his son, the energy which bathed his excitement was contagious.

“Yeah, dad! I knew you’d make it!” His screams echoed through the distance, infecting his father with the very same excitement. He was not sure if he’d made it yet, but he would. For his son. So that Naruto could finally have a normal life.

“Naruto, you-“

Dark blood splattered on the ground in front of him. Minato frowned. He wasn’t in pain. In fact, he seemed numb to everything, except his son’s infectious smile.

That was also gone now. Replaced a haunted expression he’d never seen before.

Minato tried to speak, ask the boy what was wrong, but the sounds were locked somewhere in his chest. Exactly like the sword, which had crossed his body, slightly to the left.

Minato wavered, and the world spun around him before he fell to the ground, and darkness engulfed him whole.

* * *

There had been no time to celebrate.

After all of these years, the fourth Hokage lay dead at his feet, his body proof that Shisui’s death had finally been avenged. The thrill which coursed through Itachi’s body was exhilarating.

Hatake Kakashi was on top of him five seconds later, the lightening of his chidori cracking inches away from his forehead.

Itachi stumbled backwards, forcing himself to draw out his sword and swing it, right above Yondaime’s hair. Kakashi struck again, and again, forcing the Uchiha to move further away from Minato with each passing blow.

The movement was also enough to allow Sakura to approach the fallen kage, and place her hands over the wound.

“It’s pointless” he stated, somewhat loudly. “He will die soo-“

The shuriken caught on his sword at the exact moment, preventing it from burying itself on his forehead. The trajectory change sent the tool inwards, still costing him a few locks of hair.

Kakashi, who’d grabbed one of his deceased sensei’s kunai from the ground, charged after him once more, weapon in hands.

“Don’t worry about her.” He said, calmly twisting the grip of the weapon in his hands.

“Worry about _me_” the uncontrolled hatred emanating from the Hatake was unlike anything Itachi had ever seen before from his former captain. At any other moment, he might have admitted the display was frightening.

Then, the air shifted.

It was palpable, like an increase in pressure so intense it kicked the air out of his lungs, rendering him breathless and immobile by the sheer amount of raw power. A dark, twisted chakra he’d only sensed one time in his life before.

_Kyuubi._

Pain. Rage.

The world swam around Naruto, as the gentle orange foam carefully embraced his body.

** _HE KILLED YOUR FATHER._ **

** _ARE YOU GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT?_ **

Naruto clenched his fist, which soon became entirely immersed in the hot foam.

_No. **Never.**_

**“I will never forgive you**” he vowed, the words sounding more and more similar to an animal growl.

** _YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO._ **

For the first, in a very long time, Naruto closed his eyes, allowing the darkness to embrace him completely.

No one dared to move, or even blink at the situation that unfolded in front of them. The orange foam covered his entire body now, growing thicker by the second.

By the time Naruto’s eyes opened again, Itachi was met with a pair of two red, glowing eyes.

* * *

A jinchuuriki was a powerful and feared creature.

It was common, in the past, for every village to have one. A person, chosen at random or by merit, for the role. They were weapons, used for power and the well being of their villages, with little to no rights in most cases. The reason for that, was those people, if not under control, could destroy the entire village, and maybe even the entire country if they put their minds to it.

_Kyuubi was the strongest of those beasts._

The raw power reverberated through the ground, and up Itachi’s very soul. Under the thick, but consistently transparent orange foam, naruto’s skin begun coming off his body in waves, leaving traces of floating blood behind, which dissipated once they touched the obviously scalding foam.

Whichever preparations they thought they had for this, they were wrong.

He should call off the battle immediately, and evacuate the village. Protect the people, before it was too late. Itachi however did not have too much time to ponder on that, as a foot landed on his chest, sending him flying backwards,

_Dammit_. Kakashi thought, while delivering a kick to his former subordinate’s stomach.

He’d seen this before a million times, of course. Naruto would often tap into the fox’s dark chakra to save them from horrible situations. But _this_, this was something else entirely.

_Katon: gookakeyo no jutsu!_ Itachi, who managed to recover his balance a few feet away, blew flames at Naruto’s mangled form.

“_Suiton : Suiryūdan no Jutsu_” The fire ball exploded against the dragon shaped water, and disappeared.

“Your fight is with me” He informed, back regretfully turned towards Naruto, against his every instinct.

He’d been warned about this possibility before. A full fox transformation was an extremely traumatic event to naruto, and was triggered by something equally as horrible, Jiraya-sama had said. Apparently, on one of their training sessions, Naruto had lost control to this extent, and the sanin had decided to investigate on what this meant.

Apparently, Naruto would continue losing himself to rage, until all nine tails had been projected from the foam. At that moment, Kyuubi would possess him fully, killing him. Back then, Jiraya had used an stabilization seal, which seemed to reverse the transformation.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, he possessed none of those at the moment, thanks to his prior kidnapping. And so, there was nothing he could do.

_No. There had to be something. _He stubbornly thought. There was absolutely no way he was going to lose his teacher and Naruto both at the same time. He wouldn’t allow it.

Kakashi glanced back to the energy ball that once had been his little brother. The fox’s chakra veil only had four tails yet, and it seemed he had some time before the fifth would emerge. More than enough time for him to think of a plan.

_But first... _

Frustrated by the interrupted attack, Itachi let his mangekyo sharingan fall over the nukenin.

Naruto’s body was entirely skinless, and the muscles underneath begun rearranging.

_If this kept up for long...._

“If that’s what you want” Itachi said, readying his bloody sword once again.


	26. Chapter 26

_The day Naruto left was a day Sakura would never forget._

_Her best friend had been acting restless for a few days now, as if he was on edge. He told Sakura his dad was having issues at work, and she simply brushed it off, but it was getting hard to ignore._

_They decided to go to the playground today. It was a holiday in the leaf, and they could use the entire day to play as much as they wanted._

_“Don’t stay out too late, dear” her mom called out to her, before she could even open the door. She nodded obediently._

_“Sure!”_

_“And Sakura?” Her dad called, from the couch, where he was reading the latest newspaper. He did not look at her._

_“Stay away from that Uzumaki boy” She was now happy he wasn’t looking at her._

_The door fell shut softly behind her, and she was now outside. It was a beautiful day in the leaf, as it so often was, but even at that age, Sakura could not help feeling something was wrong. _

* * *

Sakura was dreaming. Or rather, having a nightmare.

The world around her was nothing more than darkness, rot and decay. Reddish flashes of light appeared every now and again in the darkness, illuminating the world around her.

The fourth Hokage was dead- _no. Not yet. Dying_, right in front of her.

The hole that was ripped into his heart by the sword was something that could never be fixed. Medical ninjutsu or not, chakra expertise or not, as soon as she let go of the green light emanating from her dripping wet hand, the blood flow would tear apart the little scab that she’d been able to make over it.

But even if it didn’t. The muscle loss was just far too big, and all four chambers had been affected.

_He was going to die. And there was nothing she could do to stop it._

It was a weird nightmare to have, of all things. She had no attachment to the man at all, and his death would upset her, but no more than any other patient’s death would. The reason she was so worked up about this, more than she usually would be, was he was Naruto’s dad.

_Naruto._

The man underneath her stirred up at once, and wrapped his hand tightly around hers.

“Don’t fight it, please!” She pleaded. “If you move too much, the bleeding will start again and I am not sure I can stop it”

The man was extremely pale now. Sakura had doubts he even heard her in the first place. But by a miracle, it seemed he did, and he stilled completely.

“S-Sakura” he tried, grunting at the effort of speaking.

“Don’t try to talk. You’ll be okay. Just hang in there” The stress of the situation seemed to cloud her mind, and the green chakra wavered a bit.

Minato inhaled sharply, as if in excruciating pain. How he was awake, she had no idea.

“W-we both know... better... than ...hat” Sakura shook her head desperately, and tears begun welling up in her eyes.

_She couldn’t let him die. How would she face naruto afterwards?_

“It’s...ok”

“How is any of this okay? Naruto lost everything over a coup he wasn’t to blame for, and now he’s going to lose you too! It’s _not_ okay!” She hissed, not bothering with her tone.

It seemed the darkness that engulfed them tightened itself against her every passing minute.

“You’re... kind.” The fourth Hokage managed to say, in between ragged breaths. “Even though we kidnapped you, you showed n-nothing more th-an compassion...”

Sakura simply stared at him.

“The l-leaf village... would be lucky... to ave... you as.... their leader”

_What?_

She was no leader. The Hokage after Itachi was going to be Sasuke! What Sakura would do was run her family’s hospital.

She opened her mouth to tell him just that, but paused once she met those eyes, that resembled Naruto’s so dearly. The light that emanated from them was fading very quickly. 

Sakura released the green chakra around his heart, letting out a frustrated grunt. Minato looked at her, eyes more focused than they’d been throughout that entire conversation.

“P-please take care of my son”

“I will. I promise” The blonde man seemed to accept her words, because he glanced away from her, and up to the sky above.

And then, his chest stopped moving.

* * *

_She found him at the playground, sat over the tiles of the fence that kept the park from the nearby river. He had not seen her yet._

_Mischief drowned Sakura’s mind, and she snuck up behind him, until she was right underneath the pillar._

_“What are you thinking about?” She asked, rather loudly. Naruto jumped a few meters in the air in fear._

_Usually, he’d think it was funny, and laugh it off. Today, he stared at her with angry eyes._

_“Hey, what’s the big idea? I could have gotten seriously hurt” there was unusual anger and seriousness to his voice. _

_“Sorry, I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to be funny” Sakura shrunk, visibly taken aback. The expression in her eyes seemed to have wakened something in him, because he relented. _

_“Whatever.” Naruto averted his gaze to the river in front of him once more, completely ignoring her. For whatever reason, instead of making her upset, his behavior made her angry._

_“I know your dad is really busy, but I’m getting tired of you being mean to me” The words were completely unexpected to naruto, who watched, as she climbed up and then sat next to him._

_“...sorry” he said, in a small voice. Sakura decided not to keep bothering him._

_Now that she was in a higher position than before, the sight was definitely prettier. Not just the river, but the boats that crossed slowly through it, and the people walking on the sidewalks that bordered it. Everything was so peaceful._

_Probably why her friend had chosen that place, she realized._

_Sakura wasn’t sure of how long they just sat there, simultaneity too lost in thought and mesmerized to speak. Eventually, Naruto stretched out his legs._

_“Hey, Sakura Chan...” She glanced at hm, but his gaze was still lost in the view._

_“What would you do if I went away?” Sakura’s eyes widened._

_“What do you mean? Is your dad going to go away?” Naruto quickly shook his head in a negative manner._

_“No, nothing like that. I just wanted you to imagine it, that’s all” His tone was less than convincing. Sakura perked up an eyebrow, but turned back to the blue waters in front of her._

_What would she do if her best friend went missing?_

_“I would cry” she said, simply. “And miss you a lot. You’re my best friend, Naruto.” He looked at her then, and she met his somewhat surprised eyes. “I don’t want you to go anywhere”_

_They spent a few seconds like that, simply looking at each other. Then, Naruto reached out for his neck, pulling out a bright blue necklace from under his shirt._

_“When I was really little, someone I knew gave me this necklace.” He played with his fingers a bit, making the cord dangle the stone below somewhat._

_“It’s beautiful.” Sakura genuinely commented. The color matched her best friend’s impossibly blue eyes perfectly, and even highlighted them somewhat._

_He simply stretched his arm out to her_

_“Take it.”_

_“Are you sure?” Sakura frowned. “You said this was a gift from someone you really loved”_

_He smirked at her._

_“Exactly. And I really love you, so I want you to have it” he reasoned. Then, his features grew serious._

_“But you’re going to have to promise me not to lose it” _

_Sakura had nowhere to hide the blush and embarrassment that went up her cheeks. In the end, she simply stared at the necklace like her life depended on it, and quickly nodded._

_Her hand briefly touched his, and she took the necklace, quickly fitting it through her head. To her surprise, it weighted nothing at all._

_She looked back at the blonde boy, who stared longingly at the stone, and then met her eyes._

_Naruto smiled, and for a moment, things were back to what they always used to be._

_“Now you’ll always have something to remember me by, and you won’t be sad!” He said, cheerfully._

* * *

It was amazing what trauma could do to a person’s mind. Sakura had been under training to be a doctor for the better part of her life. And if not a doctor, at the very least, a skilled pharmacist at her father’s store. Yet, in all of those years, no one had quite passed away in her arms the way Naruto’s father just did.

Having someone die in such a violent manner in front of you was no laughing matter for anyone. To some, it would render them disabled for the rest of their lives, though shinobi never really had that option.

To Sakura, the reality of a situation she was facing for the first time in her life seemed to simply make her brain snap back into place.

_This isn’t a dream_. The fourth Hokage’s body truly laid in front of her, completely still, and growing paler and cooler by the second. Sakura moved her upper body backwards, allowing herself to sit down a few feet away, where his blood would not stain her even further.

The darkness that surrounded her also was no longer myst from an ominous nightmare she’d eventually wake up from. _No_. That unbelievable mix of grief and rage had a single source, and one she’d grown familiar with.

Sakura forced herself to look at where the overwhelming concentration of chakra was, trying her best to tone down her sensitive skills. Naruto- if she could even still call him that, sat like an animal, right above his father’s stone head at the Hokage monument, with his back turned towards her.

The reddish mass of smoke and blood he’d become was oddly shaped as a human-like fox. Five tails projected from it, waving slightly.

_This was not normal. _Sakura focused her chakra on her sight, until her eyes found two shadows, who would meet each other every now and again, and sparks would fly. The men were moving far too fast for her, but there was no doubt one of them was in fact Kakashi.

He seemed to be dealing well with the battle, which seemed to be perfectly matched. However, there was absolutely no way he’d be able to help her now.

It was then that the demon howled- A blood curling scream, that almost destroyed Sakura’s ears and ripped up nearby trees, flinging them somewhere on the village below. By the time it stopped, a sixth tail had popped out of the thick, poisonous chakra.

The demon inside him had nine tails. Sakura did not want to see what that full transformation would entail.

She wasn’t sure how to stop it, but there was no choice other than to try.

The reason Haruno conditioned their chakra control so harshly, and from a very young age was unlocking a very special skill. Even then, very few of them could successfully achieve it, as the process was far too complex.

Sakura was done waiting.

She concentrated, focusing on a special portion of her chakra. One she’d been secretly collecting ever since she was five years old.

And she unleashed it. All in one go.

_The sensation was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before._

Two large black stripes formed on her forehead, quickly carving their way down her cheeks, and neck. In the center, a pink, glowing diamond was formed, and it shone brightly.

_Byakugou._

She felt ridiculously powerful. And in one many ways, she was.

“HEY, NARUTO!” Her high pitched scream was enough to make the demon turn its head, which was somehow even worse.

_Naruto’s face was gone._ It was simply gone, replaced by demon like teeth, and expressionless full white eyes. Sakura took a step back, not wanting to be under that gaze.

_“Please take care of my son”_

She took a deep breath. _There had to be a way to fix this._ A way to stop the transformation, and fix things before he lost control completely. And if there was, she would find it.

The demon clearly showed interest in the powerful chakra source. It rearranged itself on all fours, so that it was now facing her. Then, it bent the upper half of its body in an attack position.

_Just a fox, hunting for it’s prey. Aiming for the kill._

Unfortunately or them, Sakura was just ready for that.

It was impossible to know who made the first movement. The beast darted towards her, making the ground tremble beneath their feet as it rushed. Sakura could feel the blood thirst emanating from it in waves.

Focusing chakra on her arm’s muscle fibers, she readied herself for the strike.

The beast picked up speed, howling as it went, and jumped right over her, running towards the two adults dueling.

“No, wait!” Sakura shouted, hoping to somehow change it’s mind. It was pointless.

Not giving herself time to think, Sakura forced her legs to move as fast as she could, chasing after it.

Naruto would never forgive himself if he killed Kakashi.

Sakura would _never_ let that happen.


	27. Chapter 27

The pressure in the air seemed to intensify every passing second. Kakashi was not sure if that was due to Naruto’s transformation, or the sheer intensity of the battle he found himself into right now. Either way, he still needed to find a way to stop Naruto.

_“Did you guys have a pleasant trip?” Jiraya asked, once he and Minato sensei returned from their latest mission. At that point, they were hiding out somewhere in the land of water, and the makeshift tents were facing the shore._

_“Yeah” he agreed, casually sticking his hands in his pockets. The Sanin and he hardly ever talked, unless there was some sort of important information to be shared._

_“I’m glad to hear” When the elder man begun walking away, Kakashi spared one last look at Minato sensei and Naruto’s excited conversation before following._

_“While you two were gone, I took liberty to teach him a few new jutsu, and access his chakra control. While he did that, I started reading a new book.” Jiraya reached for his back pouch, pulling out a brown book. It was completely worn out, torn by time. There was also no title in sight._

_“What is it about?”_

_“A manuscript. Detailing the life of Bunpuku, the first jinchuuriki of the sand, and all the subsequent ones, until the latest, which happens to be the youngest son of the Kazekage. A boy named Gaara.” He handed Kakashi the book._

_“Apparently, when a jinchuriki loses control, they get wrapped up by a layer of demonic chakra. I trust you have seen that happen before?”_

_“Yes. Around two, or three times. It’s getting more frequent as he gets older” Jiraya’s lips thinned._

_“Just as I feared. While it may seem like that chakra is protecting him, it’s actually extremely harmful to his body. Also, tails appear, one at a time, until they match the exact same amount the beast has. Once all seven appear, in naruto’s case, the possession is complete, and the host will be lost forever”_

_Kakashi stilled, realizing what Jiraya was telling him._

_“We can never let that happen.”_

_“I’ll do my best”_

* * *

Jiraya’s words were still fresh in his mind, even after all this time. Kakashi had to stop Naruto before it was too late.

But keeping Itachi at bay was already being hard enough as it was. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to keep that up either.

The flames exploded against the mud wall, tearing it up into tiny pieces. Luckily, it was enough to stop the blow.

“Oi, Itachi. We need to stop this” Kakashi’s words dug laughter from Itachi’s throat.

“I don’t think so, taichou. Allowing you to retake the leaf village is something I cannot allow”

“There will be _NO_ leaf village if we don’t stop, Itachi!” Kakashi barked, forcing what little chakra he had left to cross through his arm in the shape of lightening.

Itachi rose his sword, bringing it down at full speed. Using the lightening on his favor, Kakashi grabbed the blade. He winced, as it cut through his palm, but did not let go.

“Look around you, Itachi. So many are dying, and for what? Keeping the Uchiha in power? You’re not protecting the leaf. You’re protecting yourself” The words seemed to get through the younger man, at least momentarily. Then, his brows furrowed.

“Was that not what the previous Kage did? Protect themselves, at the expense of my people? I don’t seem to have seen you complain back then” Using the sword as a bar, Itachi took both his feet of the ground, landing a kick on Kakashi’s chin.

The silver haired shinobi flew backwards, rolling on the hard ground a few times before he was able to stop.

“I see... so there’s no way we can discuss this?” Itachi shoot his head.

“You made your choice years ago”

It meant the only way to help Naruto would be defeating the fifth Hokage. Kakashi only hoped he’d make it in time.

“Hang in there, Naruto”

* * *

Tracking his brother was not hard. Then again, by choosing the highest point of the leaf as a battle field, with explosions cracking above the stone monument every few minutes, it was hard to miss.

Itachi could certainly handle the renegades, if he had to. That fact was conflicting to Sasuke, in levels he did not want to admit. Sasuke had no issue with his brother disposing of Hatake Kakashi. He and the men did not even know each other past a few glances, and it seemed the duo had history. It was only fair to allow his brother to get his revenge. But Naruto and Sakura were different.

His former best friend, and fiancée, both of which he’d lost, and thought would never see again. Losing them yet again, and by his brother’s hand no less, would be hard to get past.

And so, though he’d never admit it, that was why he’d snuck up the mountain, where the battle was happening. Itachi could be harsh sometimes, but his brother had always had a weak spot to Sasuke’s wishes. _Maybe he could save them. Maybe,_ if Naruto and Sakura surrendered, things would be okay.

The second his feet connected with the top of the mountain, those thoughts were completely destroyed.

It was massive. A dark aura that took over the entire place, and threatened to explode down the village below.

“W-What...?” He voiced, to no one in particular. Sasuke was no stranger to darkness. Aside from his shinobi duties, it loomed around him and his family, and it had certainly done so in the last few months. But this was far too much.

And in the center of it all, a massive red creature, which reeked of blood was running, and letting out awful shrieks.

Now paying more attention to it, it was clear the creature had animal like shape, and five massive tails, which projected themselves from behind. A tailed beast.

_Was that Naruto?_

Unable to move, Sasuke followed the trajectory to where his brother was standing with his eyes. He was caught up in a fight with Hatake, clearly oblivious to the approaching enemy.

“NII-SAN!!!!!” Sasuke’s screams echoed behind him as he rushed forward with all his might.

His brother was all he had left, and he surely would not lose him.

* * *

Sasuke’s loud pitched scream reached Itachi’s ears, making slow down. _What on earth was his little brother doing here?_

It seemed Kakashi noticed too, because the relentless attacks had finally seized. Itachi took that opportunity to slide backwards, breaking off from their battle.

He looked for Sasuke, who was only a few meters away, racing desperately towards him. For a second, Itachi allowed himself to breathe. _His brother was okay._

Then he noticed the intense chakra, as well as the demonic creature which once had been Uzumaki Naruto only a few meters behind his brother, darting forward just as uncontrollably.

At that rate, it wouldn’t be long before the creature caught up.

“Stop it, Sasuke!” He screamed, putting his arms up. “GET AWAY!!!!”

* * *

The world seemed to slow down after that.

Once Sasuke processed Itachi’s words, he turned his head, seeing how close the enormous beast was to him. The sight made his legs freeze.

Naruto lifted his arm, with the clawed paw, as high as he could up in the air.

Itachi and Kakashi both rushed forward, but there was simply no time.

“SHANAROOOO!!!” Sakura’s fist connected with the ground, making a massive crack in it. The move pulled the ground from beneath Naruto’s feet, making him slip, and miss Sasuke’s head by millimeters.

Though the strike had not hit, the sheer strength of the movement was enough to pull the air from Sasuke’s lungs, making him bend over.

From this close, the energy irradiating from his former best friend was almost unbearable. He was not strong enough to deal with this, and honestly doubted anyone in the entire village was. Still, he’d achieved his goal. Itachi was safe. Even if momentarily.

Even if it had cost his own life.

_“I’m sorry... Itachi” _he thought, closing his eyes and waiting for the final blow.

Naruto however had other plans.

Ignoring Sasuke completely, the monster finally turned around, to face it’s new opponent.

“I can’t let you do this, Naruto!” She shouted, voice cracking despite the best efforts to keep it steady.

It meant nothing to the demon, and he readied itself to strike, obviously annoyed at the interruption. In the process, the fifth tail emerged from it’s back.

Kyuubi bent it’s four limbs, ready to run at any second...

The completely white eyes squinted a bit at the deep blue light, which had begun emanating.

The light was coming from a blue stone, which was attached to a fiber stripe, that hung from Sakura’s closed hand.

Kakashi held his breath.

_It was Kushina’s necklace!_

* * *

Sakura held out the pendant, unable to keep her arm still. At that angle, it was being struck directly by sunlight, which seemed to help in capturing the monster’s attention.

_Not the monster’s_. She corrected herself. _Naruto’s._

He remained crouched, like a predator ready to destroy it’s prey. Nevertheless, he became completely still.

Sakura took her chance.

“The day you left, was the worst day of my life” If the words had any effect whatsoever on her best friend, she did not know. But she allowed them to pour out regardless.

“You knew, didn’t you, Naruto? That your father was going to leave with you. It took years for me to realize that that was why you were acting weird the days before, and that was why gave this to me.”

She gripped the necklace tighter, making it dangle on the cord.

“I’ve kept it all this time. Just like I promised you I would. It was your most precious gift, the only thing you had left of your mother, and you still gave it up to me, just so I wouldn’t feel sad” A sob caught on her throat, and she did her best to keep it from coming up.

“You’re not a monster, Naruto. You _never_ were. Even after all those years as a renegade, you still managed to maintain that same innocent shine in your eyes. And I am sorry I ever doubted that” The tears were falling freely on her cheeks now, and she took a few steps closer.

“I am sorry not many people could see what an amazing person you are, and treated you and your family so badly because of it. I am so sorry they took your dad away from you, and I would do anything if I could bring him back” Sakura’s speech became more and more erratic with each word.

She took a few steps forward, half expecting the creature to consume her whole in a single strike.

“You gave me so much these past few weeks, and made me realize so many things, like how to be strong, to think for myself and to fight for what I believed in. And above all-”

Sakura stared into the void white eyes, which once held a deep shade of blue.

“You made me realize I love you, Naruto! Which is why I will always be by your side, just as I promised your dad, to protect you, in whichever way you let me” She closed the distance between them entirely, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The inhuman shriek he let out made her ears ring, and the twisted chakra burned away at her arms and cheek, exposing the muscles underneath.

“Come back to me, Naruto. Please”. She closed her eyes, and tightened her grip.

At first, Naruto trashed wildly beneath her, trying desperately to break free. The chakra around her got impossibly thicker, burning into her with such intensity she was sure she would die.

And then, out of nowhere, it shrunk, ever so steadily, until she was left with a completely bloody human body in her arms.

“S-Sakura Chan” his voice was hoarse, and barely audible.

“Shhh” she said, gently pulling him down to the ground with her, and ignoring all the protests from her severe wounds, which were already closing thanks to the byakugo.

“It’s okay, Naruto. We’re both going to be okay”

* * *

Kakashi crossed the small distance between him and the two teenagers, kneeling by Naruto’s body as he went.

The boy was horribly hurt, with skin patches missing everywhere. Mercifully, it seemed most of them had already begun restoring themselves. Sakura cradled onto him like the world depended on it, and there was no way he was going to be able to pry him from her also horribly wounded arms, though those also seemed to be closing off quickly.

_No matter. Naruto was still alive, and going to be okay._

Silence also seemed to take over the village underneath. For better or for worse, the lengthy battle down below was clearly settled, or close to being so. One way or the other, it was over.

It appeared Itachi did not catch the memo. Kakashi turned instinctively, just in time to see the trio of shuriken be flung his way. Under that trajectory, they would stab him right across his heart, neck, and forehead.

Kakashi tried to call for some more chakra to use a substitution jutsu, but there was none.

_Dammit!_

But the shuriken never struck. Instead, they were intercepted by others, and scrambled through the ground. Kakashi looked at Itachi, but it seemed the other man was just as confused.

Then, the renegade sensed a familiar chakra signature.

“You took your time getting here, huh?” He said, just as the shadow materialized in front of him.

“Sorry about that. Others were in need of my help in the village. The battle is all but won now”. Shisui turned around, revealing himself to his former best friend for the first time in years.

Itachi’s jaw all but dropped.

“How is this possible? Danzō killed you” the short haired Uchiha shook his head.

“He came very close to it.” Revealed Shisui. “After battling his entire anbu squadron, as well as him, I wasn’t sure if I would actually be able to kill him before my chakra reservoirs achieved a dangerously low level. At that point, i decided it would be better to forge my death and escape, at least until I healed, and could clear things up.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Asked Sasuke. “My brother looked everywhere for you, and the entire clan mourned you very deeply.”

“By the time I felt well enough to return to the leaf, the coup was already in motion. I ran into Kakashi and the fourth Hokage, who explained everything to me.”

Itachi was speechless. The usually controlled shinobi wore all his emotions on his face at once. Relief. Betrayal. Anger.

“Why didn’t you come back, and fix things then?” The other Uchiha met his eyes.

“Do you really think that would have been possible?” He whispered, but firmly.

_ No. It certainly wouldn’t. _

Though Shisui had been the last straw on starting the coup, there had been several other issues that led up to it. Him being alive and well would cause some level of awkwardness, no doubt, but it would not change what was on the Uchiha’s hearts.

“So I decided I’d best use my talents here. With the fourth Hokage, and the ideals of the village you and I both had, so that one day they could be restored, and the Uchiha name cleaned. Hopefully, today is that day.”

Uchiha Itachi was lost. His former best friend had sided with the enemy all along.

_But had he? _

Uchiha Itachi allowed himself to move closer to the edge of the mountain. From the corner of his eye, he was able to see the moment Shisui grabbed Kakashi’s arm, preventing him from moving further. And so, the ruler finally took in what had become of his village for the first time.

Scrapped buildings. Dead bodies on the streets, and others almost reaching that state, if not for the frantic medics rushing from one side to the other. Medics from both sides, he realized, as white slugs were also sliding down the streets, and draping themselves over people.

It reminded him of the coup. No. It reminded him of years earlier, when he was still a young child, and his father exposed him to war, hoping to make a better shinobi out of him.

_The sight had horrified him. _

From that day forward, his intelligence and family had weighted heavily on him. By graduating the academy at the top of his class, with impressive scores, and being the firstborn of the leader of the Uchiha, there was nothing he could do to avoid conflict if not play the part designed for him perfectly.

But that part had led him to secrets, and a coup many people would die for.

He remembered reaching out to Lord Fourth then, and telling him about everything. Minato seemed to share his distaste for war, not because it horrified him, but out of grief. And he had been completely willing to help, and find a peaceful solution.

_Which is why when Shisui died, after everything you did, you realized there was no difference between either side, and you resorted to protecting your younger brother, as you should. _But Shisui was not dead. He had not been betrayed.

_If anything_, he realized, looking back at the cold body on the ground. _He_ was the traitor.

Under those circumstances, there was only one thing to be said.

He turned to his apprehensive captain, and thoughtful friend.

“Very well. We surrender”


	28. Chapter 28

Uchiha Itachi stepped down from his position that very same week, immediately after signing a pardon letter, granted to all those who opposed the Uchiha army in the war. In the wake of his fall, the newly established counselors, Uchiha Shisui and Nara Shikaku recommended Hatake Kakashi for the position of kage, for his brain, but also undying loyalty to the leaf, which almost cost him his life.

While the decision was estranged at first by a large part of the population, as well as the former renegade, things suddenly fell into place, and Kakashi accepted, under the condition it would be a temporary fit, just until Sakura could get older.

Since having Sakura as Hokage was something desirable to both the defeated and winners, as that had been Minato’s final wish, the deal was accepted and officiated by the feudal Lord with no issue.

The weight of that decision made Sakura a bit restless; There would be no space for messing up, certainly not after everything that’d already happened. The Haruno already had a lot of redeeming to do... and so did the Uchiha. But her spirit was young, and her mind resilient. There was little to no doubt from those around her that she would be able to manage the responsibility when the time came.

After resigning, Itachi and the Uchiha were also completely pardoned for their actions, as part of the agreement. Nevertheless, the former Hokage decided it would be best to head out into the world, as his self proclaimed punishment. The trip would serve the purpose of paying for his sins, as well as learning not to lose sight of his goals, and how a true leader should act.

Seeing as his wedding to Sakura was cancelled, and with the complete truth about everything on his shoulders, Sasuke decided it’d be best to tag along. Unlike his brother, his goals were simply to learn how regular people lived. Their tastes, and differences, and how to respect and be respected by them, without having to hold the weight of his name behind it.

Sakura had seen him off the day they left, surprisingly accompanied by Jiraya, whom, after village restoration, gained access to all kinds of files and documents about his friend Orochimaru, and how he was murdered by the Hokage a few years ago, during the chunin exams. The sanin doubted that to be the case, and vowed to find his hideout out there somewhere. Tsunade on the other hand, decided to stay, and become head of the leaf’s hospital. A choice Sakura relished on, for she learned a lot from her during her free time.

In time, Obito sensei made up with Lord Seventh, and became his most trusted advisor. Now at a peace she’d never seen before from her teacher, the two of them wisely ruled over the leaf, trying to make it a better place for everyone, regardless of their origins or individualities.

One of Kakashi’s first rulings as Hokage involved the ANBU, giving them longer breaks, and better working conditions. Sakura slipped in a request for mental health check ups in it too, which Kakashi promptly accepted. He also dismantled several teams, demoting them to jounin status, even going as far as allowing them to choose which position they wanted next.

Once the dust settled in the leaf, and it became clear that the Uchiha would no longer riot and take over the new government, Kurenai and Iruka got divorced. Sakura learned from Ino later that their wedding had been a bluff all along, done to protect Mirai, who was actually Asuma’s daughter.

It took less than a month for the rightful duo to move in together, and Mirai quickly got used to having her biological dad around, who she got quite attached to.

Naruto had to be sent to the hospital that day, and was released the following week, still covered in bandages, but feeling much better. They buried his dad at the cemetery, right next to his mother in a beautiful ceremony that counted with the entire village, under clear skies.

He and Kakashi rented an apartment near the Hokage tower, to which they moved in to that exact same afternoon. Life was hard for Naruto at first, between grief and struggling to adjust to the life he’d been robbed of. Sakura was there for him every step of the way.

Eventually, with the help of the friends he’d made along the way, and the new ones he eventually made at the village, no one else feared the boy with the demon beast. If anything, it was the opposite.

Naruto and Sakura publicly assumed their relationship 6 months after the war, and he proposed 3 years later, by the river, in front of the playground.

She said yes.

* * *

Her mom always told her the best moment to get married was spring. At that time in the leaf village, all the cherry blossoms were blooming, giving the entire place a truly incomparable sight. More than that, the petals which eventually fell from them, formed stunning pink carpets, which coated the streets, making Konoha fall into a perpetually romantic state.

Getting married at that time was tradition, followed by almost everyone. The sight would be perfect for the photos, and the guests, especially ones who’d come from far away places, would be mesmerized by the sight of both the flowers and the blooming bride, in the beautiful white dress, as she walked down the aisle.

The problem was, Sakura had already bloomed a long time ago.

They got married in the summer, by the gardens, which had a perfect sight to the green forest that surrounded the leaf in the background. Sakura’s kimono was indeed white, but covered in pink colored flowers, only slightly darker than her hair.

“You look beautiful” Sakura startled, suddenly becoming aware of Kakashi’s presence.

“Shouldn’t you be with Naruto?” She asked, not even half as scolding as she sounded. Regardless, it was an honest question, seeing as he was supposed to walk Naruto down the aisle, as his father.

The corners of Kakashi’s eyes crinkled.

“The Hokage should be aware of everything that happens in the village” The harsh dirty clothes, and dark aura were long gone, replaced by an impeccable black Kimono, and cheerful mood. Things had indeed changed.

“Of course” And to think that same man sent shivers down her spine not that long ago.

“Naruto sent me to check up on you” he revealed, unceremoniously using the nightstand of the dressing room as a bench. “He’s really nervous, but didn’t want to break tradition, so he sent me to make sure you are okay”

“Is that so?”

“Yup. A total disaster” The two of them broke into deep laughter.

Naruto really cared a lot about her. And now that he’d gotten his jounin status, he was studying to become one the Hokage’s bodyguards, and help Kakashi. It was just part of who he was at this point, and there was nothing to be done about it.

“Well, you can tell him that his future wife is just fine, and will be with him soon. She also hopes he remembered to get dressed for the occasion, instead of worrying” She added, on a funny tone.

“It will be a pleasure to pass the message along” Kakashi got to his feet, and bowed exaggeratedly, and headed for the door.

Before opening it, he turned around.

“Sakura?”

She met his black and red eyes.

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I would have done to stop him” Sakura offered him an encouraging smile.

“You’d find a way. Like you always do”

He did not reply, but the gratefulness for the acknowledgement was clear in his eyes. He opened the door, carefully sliding through so she wouldn’t be seen by any other curious eyes.

“I will see you soon, miss Uzumaki”

* * *

Ino scattered pink and yellow flower petals through the isle, as well as taking care of the rest of the decorations alongside her parents, with Lord seventh’s supervision. Everything was stunningly beautiful, and she loved it to death.

Sakura latched onto Naruto’s hand as she glanced around, trying to meet the eyes of all their friends, even if momentarily. They all seemed to be there.

All except for Sasuke, who’d sent a letter earlier that week, with apologies and well wishes. He and Hinata were out of the country, trying to know each other better before officiating their marriage.

Sakura was happy for him. Hinata was a good woman, and would surely treat him well. She would kill him if the ordeal wasn’t mutual, though.

They reached the priest together, and he promptly begun the ceremony.

Naruto only had eyes for her. She was no different.

“You may kiss the bride”

Naruto smiled shyly at her. Sakura’s cheeks grew warmer.

When their lips connected, it was as if the world around them vanished, and all they could feel was each other.

Naruto would not mind living in that moment forever.

Sakura agreed completely.


	29. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand there we go! The rest of the fic, as promised. I would like to thank everyone that joined me on this adventure that started out as a random headcanon on the back of one of my notebooks in class. It’s been a wonderful ride, and the response was overwhelming. I hope you guys enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Lastly, stay safe and stay inside! Have a good day, everyone. And stan narusaku.

The eighth Hokage stared over the peaceful village.

The demilitarization had taken a very long time, but now, Sakura was finally happy with the results.

There was no need for such things, anyway. With the deals struck by her and the previous hokage through the years, all the villages had reached a state of complete peace, even if a temporary one. Such change had taken massive effort, and she’d do whatever she could to maintain-

“MOOOOOOM!!!” Her 10 year old’s loud voice found her at the same time as the door that led to the roof slammed shut.

“Shinachiku! Shouldn’t you be at school?” She asked. The blonde boy smirked at her as he approached.

“Well, you see…”

As if on cue, the door was slammed open once more, this time revealing her husband, and Uchiha Miyako. The girl looked so much like her mother, except for the pitch-black eyes, which already held the sharingan.

“What is going on here?” Sakura asked, looking between all three of them.

“Iruka sensei called. He said these two skipped class multiple times this week. So I sent my clones to find them, and sure enough-”

“First of all, it wasn’t _multiple_ times. It only happened twice. And those classes were really boring anyway”

“What was that?” Interjected Sakura, making all defiance disappear from her child’s green orbs.

“Nothing. We had good reason to skip, I swear” He put his arms out in front of him, as if gesticulating made the lies more believable. Miyako was clearly not impressed. If anything, she seemed embarrassed to death.

“Y-yes, Lord seventh. The reason we skipped was to go practice in the woods” She spoke up, though somewhat shyly. Shinachiku nodded.

“Yeah! Miyako told me she’d help with my lightening style, since you and dad can’t, dattebasa”

Naruto scowled, crossing his arms against his chest.

“If you were going to train in the woods, why did I find you at the movies while on patrol, dattebayo?”

Shinachiku’s and Miyako’s panicked expression was so hilarious Sakura had to prevent herself for bursting out into laughter.

“Well…. That’s….”

“Shinachiku, enough” Sakura said, as seriously as she could muster. “Even if you were in fact training, it is not okay to skip school to do so. Maybe a week without videogames will teach you that lesson.”

Naruto nodded.

“Yeah. And you’re also going to have to walk your siblings home from the academy every day”

The embarrassment and indignation with the punishments, and the fact he was being scolded in front of his best friend made his face turn into a bright red tone, highlighting his whiskers.

“COME ON, MOM!!! DAD!”

“End of discussion!” Both Naruto and Sakura said, at the same time. The boy whined.

“Dammit…”

Sakura then turned to the girl, who despite being obviously horrified, simply stared back at her calmly. Just as there was a lot of her mom in her looks, it was also true re Sasuke-kun, and her personality.

“Is your dad in the village?” Sakura had sent his ANBU squadron on a mission recently, but was yet to hear back from them. Miyako nodded.

“Yes, hokage-sama. But it’s uncle Itachi or aunt Hanabi that usually pick me up from school” She was indeed a lot smoother than her son.

“Well, you’re not at school. I’ll have Shikamaru call him, and explain the situation.” The girl visibly shrunk.

“Yes, hokage-sama…”

“You two may go now. And Miyako?” The girl scaredly met Sakura’s icy green eyes. “If by any chance you walk out the door without talking to Shikamaru, I will know”

This time, it was the girl’s gaze that hardened. She did not say anything, though, and simply resumed her walk. Shinachiku eagerly followed.

“I told you this was a bad idea”

“Come on, how would I even know this was going to happen?”

“Because it always does. You’re the son of the hokage-“ The door softly closed behind them, leaving only Naruto and Sakura on the roof.

“Those kids are complicated, dattebayo” He said, tiredly scratching the back of his head.

Like this, wearing a jounin uniform and tiredly complaining about domestic things, it was endearing to Sakura how much he’d grown, and how much happier he was because of it.

_Minato-sama… I hope you’re happy with what you see._

Sakura absently touched the pendant. The fact she drifted away must have been obvious, because Naruto worriedly tilted his head.

“Are you okay?” She nodded.

“ Wait until they’re teenagers”

Naruto froze.

“Eh, they will be alright.” He replied, relaxing. The confidence in which he said it left Sakura curious.

“How do you know?” Her husband closed the distance between them, and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Because we were”

Naruto leaned in for a kiss.

**THE END**


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